Football season is right around the corner.
The unofficial kickoff to the 2024 CFL season is only three sleeps away with the global draft slated for 9 a.m. MT, and the national draft set for 6 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Apr. 30.
Fans can watch the first two rounds of the national draft live on TSN and stream exclusive coverage of rounds 3-8 live on tsn.ca. Fans can also tap into the CFL.ca Draft Tracker which will update every pick as it happens.
But before the draft arrives Tuesday, let’s take a look at some draft selections still making an impact on the Red and White.
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Clark Barnes – 2023
Selected 24th overall with the Stampeders third round pick in last year’s draft, Clark Barnes engineered a promising rookie season.
Listed as one of the top receivers exiting the 2023 CFL Combine, Barnes was projected to go early in the first or second round of the draft. Although it took an extra round for the Brampton, Ont., native to hear his name called, Barnes proved analysts right come the regular season.
In his rookie year (limited to just nine games due to injury), the former Guelph Gryphon recorded 25 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown, 18 kickoff returns for 379 yards and two missed-field goal returns for 111 yards.
The 23-year-old was the Stamps nominee for the Most Outstanding Rookie award.
Bryce Bell – 2021
Waterloo product Bryce Bell was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 CFL Draft.
Since then, the former Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawk has proved his versatility, making starts at left tackle, right tackle, and center for the Stamps over the past two seasons.
🚨 BIG BOY x SOFT HANDS 🚨
Lineman, Bryce Bell with the grab-and-go for the @calstampeders! #GCPlayoffs on TSN, RDS
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/GmtRGkQ90k— CFL (@CFL) November 4, 2023
Not only can he block defenders and open gaps for the running backs, but Bell can catch passes, too. In last season’s Western Semi-Final against the Lions, the 6’4, 315 lbs 26-year-old hauled in a throw from Jake Maier on first down good for 12 yards.
He inked a two-year contract extension with the club on Dec. 31, 2023.
Cody Grace – 2020
There were questions about who would be able to step into the shoes of former Red and White punter Rob Maver when he announced his retirement in 2019.
But with the selection of Australian punter Cody Grace in the 2020 global draft, those questions were quickly put to rest.
The former Arkansas State Red Wolf was named a CFL all-star in 2022, and a West-Division all-star in 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, he was the league leader with 12 punts that pinned opponents inside their own 10-yard line and was also top three in the CFL in gross punting average (47.2 yards) and net punting average (36.6).
Nick Statz – 2019
Plucked from their own backyard, the Red and White selected the former University of Calgary Dino in the sixth round (55th overall) of the 2019 CFL Draft.
Over the past couple seasons, Statz has seen more action on defense, making plays at both the corner and safety positions for (defensive backs coach) Dwayne Cameron’s group.
Nick Statz— Big Dolphin Dive guy 🐬#CFLGameday on TSN & RDS
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/ng67b6y9qd— CFL (@CFL) September 23, 2023
In 2023, the 27-year-old Calgarian had five defensive tackles, two special-teams stops, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one knockdown.
William Langlais – 2015
And finally, we take a look at the longest tenured draft pick, and the second-longest member of the Red and White sitting behind only Rene Paredes, William Langlais.
The Université de Sherbrooke alum was selected with the 27th pick in the third round of the 2015 CFL Draft.
If you look at the stat sheet, his seventh and eighth seasons in the league were arguably his most productive. Typically utilized in blocking schemes on offence and special-teams, the 34-year-old fullback from Hull, Que., hauled in two receiving touchdowns courtesy of Maier.
At the tail end of the 2022 season, Langlais caught a pass from Maier against the visiting Ticats for the first receiving tuddy of his career, and in the Labour Day Rematch last September he hit paydirt again.
His first endzone marker came in 2017 on a special-teams play when he recovered the ball off a botched punt against the Yellow and Black in The Hammer.
