Will the CFL draft be a good O’Day for the Riders?

Saskatchewan Roughriders general manager Jeremy O'Day looks on before CFL football action against the Calgary Stampeders in Regina, Saturday, July 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu (Heywood Yu/The Canadian Press)

With seven selections, including the fourth overall pick in the 2025 CFL draft, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are hoping to build on what is already a strong national core.

Since taking over the role as VP of Football Operations and General Manager in early 2019, Jeremy O’Day has had some hits and some misses in the draft. Here’s a look back at how things have panned out.

2024 CFL draft

With the third overall pick, O’Day took a swing at Boston College OL Kyle Hergel, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints days before the CFL draft. Hergel ended up dressing for eight games in 2024 for New Orleans and is still on the Saints roster.

It’s too early to tell if this was a miss, but not having your first-round pick in camp is a tough look.

O’day’s next three picks are currently on the team. U of S linebacker Nick Wiebe missed the start of the season after suffering a torn ACL in the 2023 Canada West football playoffs. He made his debut in the Banjo Bowl in Winnipeg, only to go down to injury again.

Third round pick receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby spent most of the season on the practice roster. He did play in seven games, making 16 catches for 188 yards. Fourth round pick linebacker Melique Straker played in 11 games including the Western Final.

He contributed mainly on special teams. Fifth rounder OL Daniel Johnson wouldn’t make the team while sixth round receiver D’Sean Mimbs went back to university with the U of R Rams. He will be at training camp again this year.

O’Day took another swing in the seventh round and absolutely crushed it with receiver Ajou Ajou. Once an NFL prospect, the Brooks product saw his stock drop after moving around the NCAA.

O’day took a chance, and Ajou in his limited time flourished, with 20 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns, including a 110 yard performance against Winnipeg in July.

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Ajou Ajou was released in the offseason to pursue an NFL opportunity with the Indianapolis Colts. Still, the Riders got plenty of bang for their seventh-round buck.

Eighth rounder DB Richard Aduboffour also went back to university. Overall, five of eight selections will be at camp this May. Two of them missing because they are with NFL teams.

2023 CFL draft

The Riders hit on the first two picks of the 2023 draft, although neither have turned into CFL all-stars ... yet.

First rounder Lake Korte Moore has played 34 games with 27 tackles and two quarterback sacks.

Second rounder DB Jaxon Ford has also spent time playing on defence and special teams. He did miss half the season last year with a wrist injury. Both have the potential to be long time Riders.

Third rounder LB Matt Dean only played one season for the Riders, while fourth rounder RB Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, has been a regular since being drafted. While he is usually a blocker, he has picked up 199 yards and three touchdowns, including a memorable TD run against Ottawa in September.

The back half of the draft didn’t pan out for the Riders. OL Sidy Sow and DL Tavius Robinson were drafted in the NFL and remain down south. Seventh rounder OL Evan Folden and eighth rounder LB Nick Thomas didn’t leave a mark. Overall, three of the eight selections will be at camp this year.

2022 CFL draft

With their first-round pick in 2022, the Riders selected WR Samuel Emilus. He didn’t get much of an opportunity in his first season, making 10 catches for 165 yards.

However, in 2023, Emilus began the season as a starter and caught on quickly. In his second game, Emilus scored three times against Winnipeg, solidifying his status as a CFL starter. He has since recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and was the Riders’ Most Outstanding Canadian nominee in 2023 and 2024.

Second round pick OL Zack Fry has dressed for 16 games and will be in the mix for the offensive line this season.

Another strong selection was in the sixth round with DB Jayden Dalke. Sometimes starting at safety, Dalke has also played a role on special teams.

As for the other picks, fourth round linebacker Tommy Bringi spent one year with the team, while OL Diego Alatorre Montoya (3rd round), DB Tristan Fleury (5th round), DB Zach Herzog (7th round) and WR Riley Boersma (8th round) never played a regular season snap. Overall, three of eight selections will be at camp this year.

2021 CFL draft

With the second overall selection, O’Day picked U of S defensive back Nelson Lokombo. Unfortunately, Lokombo suffered an achilles injury just before training camp. In 2022 and 2023, Lokombo dressed for 16 games, forcing a fumble. However, in 2024, the defensive back made his mark, taking over the starting safety role.

He would pick up a quarterback sack, forced fumble, and important interception in the Western Semifinal versus B.C.

Unfortunately, Lokombo will be the only 2021 draft pick that will be at Rider training camp this year.

Third round pick TE/FB Bruno LaBelle played two seasons with the Riders, as did OL Logan Bandy who played a fair amount on the o-line in 2023, but decided to retire in the off-season. Fourth rounder DL Alain Cimankinda played two games in 2022.

Sixth rounder DB Matt Watson never panned out but the biggest disappointment was second round WR Terrell Jana who never played a regular season snap. No receiver in that draft made an impact except for Luther Hakunavanhu, who has played for Calgary and Hamilton.

Overall, this was a tough draft for the green and white.

2020 CFL draft

The Riders selected U of S OL Mattland Riley with the seventh overall pick. He played one game in the shortened 2021 season and then decided to retire.

The Riders wouldn’t select again until the fourth round when they made two dynamite selections, WR Kian Schaffer-Baker and LB AJ Allen both from the university of Guelph. Schaffer-Baker has become a consistent starter when not injured, picking up 14 touchdowns in four seasons.

He just missed the 1,000 yard receiving yard mark in 2022 by forty yards. Allen played in all 18 regular season games in 2023 and 2024, picking up an interception for a touchdown last year against BC.

The other four picks wouldn’t pan out, including eighth rounder DL Neville Gallimore, who has a swing for the fences as he was drafted to the NFL by Dallas. He currently is on the roster of the Indianapolis Colts. Overall, two of the seven selections will be at camp this year.

2019 CFL draft

This was O’Day’s first draft as VP of Football Operations and GM. With the team needing Canadian talent in the receiving room, he selected two pass catchers. Justin McInnis in the first round and Brayden Lenius in the second round.

McInnis played three seasons for Saskatchewan, his best year coming in 2022 with 364 yards and two touchdowns. McInnis signed with B.C., and just happened to explode for 1,469 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.

So while it wasn’t with the Riders, getting drafted in the first round proved to be the right choice. As for Lenius, he showed signs in 2021, with 471 yards receiving and four touchdowns.

After a short stint with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, he came back to the Riders in 2022, but never found his form. He was one of the cuts at last year’s training camp and is currently signed with B.C.

Fourth round DL Charbel Dabire has been in the rotation on the Riders defensive line since getting drafted. He only played four games with the Riders last year after a knee injury but was re-signed for the 2025 season.

The Riders’ other three picks didn’t pan out. Overall, only one selection will be at Rider camp but including the two Lions, half of O’Day’s picks are still in the CFL, pretty good for his first draft.

So how will O’Day do on draft day this year? The Riders have a lot of national depth which could allow them to choose the best player available as opposed to a specific position, although offensive linemen will always be sought after in the draft.

The CFL draft goes April 29 at 6 p.m. Saskatchewan time.