List of first overall CFL draft picks

This is a list of first overall Canadian Football League draft picks. The CFL draft is an annual sports draft in which the teams of the Canadian Football League (CFL) select eligible Canadian/non-import players, typically from the ranks of U Sports football or NCAA college football. The first official draft took place in 1953, with Doug McNichol becoming the first player to be drafted and was therefore drafted first overall. This list does not include the 1952 IRFU college draft due to its unofficial status. While only the eastern teams participated for the first three years, all nine teams began participating in the 1956 draft. From 1960 to 1962, however, due to a dispute over talent from western universities and a reluctance of eastern draftees to move west, BC, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg were awarded territorial rights to players from their city's university. Because Calgary had no university program in their territory, they continued to participate in the draft during these three years. A Brief History of the CFL Canadian Draft From 1973 to 1984, teams were granted territorial rights players before the actual draft took place, hence, players listed in those years were actually drafted later. Since 2016, in non-pandemic years, the draft has consisted of eight rounds, with teams selecting in reverse order of their placement in the previous season.

List of first overall picks = CFL Division All-Star= CFL All-Star= Hall of Famer

Eastern draft Year Player Position School IRFU team1953Doug McNicholEndWestern OntarioMontreal Alouettes1954Bill McFarlaneHalfbackTorontoToronto Argonauts1955Gino FracasHalfbackWestern OntarioOttawa Rough Riders

National draft Year Player Position School CFL team1956Lou BruceEndQueen'sOttawa Rough Riders1957Jim HughesTackleQueen'sBC Lions1958Len SigurdsonTackleMcGillSaskatchewan Roughriders1959Lorry StaceyDefensive endTorontoToronto Argonauts1960Bill MitchellTackleWestern OntarioToronto Argonauts1961Casey WoodTackleTorontoToronto Argonauts1962Harvey ScottGuardWestern OntarioCalgary Stampeders1963John WydarenyDefensive backWestern OntarioToronto Argonauts1964Barry MitchelsonEndWestern OntarioEdmonton Eskimos1965Jim YoungWide receiverQueen'sToronto Argonauts1966Ed TurekHalfback Waterloo Lutheran Edmonton Eskimos1967Lawrence BarrettHalfback British Columbia Toronto Argonauts1968Mike EbenWide receiverTorontoBC Lions1969Doug StrongHalfbackWaterloo LutheranWinnipeg Blue Bombers1970Wayne HolmQuarterbackSimon FraserCalgary Stampeders1971Brian DonnellyDefensive backSimon FraserSaskatchewan Roughriders1972Larry SmithRunning backBishop'sMontreal Alouettes1973Brian SopatykOffensive guardBoise StateBC Lions1974Randy HalsallOffensive tackleWake ForestToronto Argonauts1975Steve ScullyOffensive tackleSyracuseWinnipeg Blue Bombers1976Tim BerrymanLinebacker Ottawa Edmonton Eskimos1977Mike RileyDefensive tackle Dalhousie Ottawa Rough Riders1978Dave KirzingerDefensive tackleOttawaCalgary Stampeders1979Kevin PowellOffensive tackleUtah StateToronto Argonauts1980Greg BarrowOffensive linemanFloridaToronto Argonauts1981Frank CosecLinebackerWaterlooCalgary Stampeders1982Mike KirkleyRunning backWestern OntarioToronto Argonauts1983Jerry DobrovolnyOffensive tackleBritish ColumbiaCalgary Stampeders1984Frank BalkovecLinebackerTorontoBC Lions

Modern era Year Player Position School CFL team1985Nicholas BenjaminOffensive linemanConcordiaOttawa Rough Riders1986Kent WarnockDefensive endCalgaryCalgary Stampeders1987Leo GroenewegenOffensive linemanBritish ColumbiaOttawa Rough Riders1988Orville LeeRunning backSimon FraserOttawa Rough Riders1989Gerald WilcoxTight endWeber StateOttawa Rough Riders1990Sean MillingtonRunning backSimon FraserEdmonton Eskimos1991Nick MazzoliWide receiverSimon FraserHamilton Tiger-Cats1992Bruce CoverntonOffensive tackleWeber StateCalgary Stampeders1993Patrick BurkeDefensive backFresno CollegeBC Lions1994Val St. GermainOffensive linemanMcGillHamilton Tiger-Cats1995Tom NüttenOffensive linemanWestern MichiganHamilton Tiger-Cats1996Don BlairSlotbackCalgaryEdmonton Eskimos1997Chad FolkOffensive linemanUtahToronto Argonauts1998Tim FleiszerDefensive linemanHarvardHamilton Tiger-Cats1999Rob MeierDefensive endWashington StateBC Lions2000Tyson St. JamesLinebackerBritish ColumbiaSaskatchewan Roughriders2001Scott SchultzDefensive linemanNorth DakotaSaskatchewan Roughriders2002Alexandre GauthierOffensive linemanLavalOttawa Renegades2003Steve MorleyOffensive linemanSaint Mary'sCalgary Stampeders2004Wayne SmithOffensive linemanAppalachian StateHamilton Tiger-Cats2005Miguel RobedeDefensive endLavalCalgary Stampeders2006Adam BraidwoodDefensive endWashington StateEdmonton Eskimos2007Chris BaumanWide receiverReginaHamilton Tiger-Cats2008Dylan BarkerDefensive backSaskatchewanHamilton Tiger-Cats2009Simeon RottierOffensive linemanAlbertaHamilton Tiger-Cats2010Shomari Williams LinebackerQueen'sSaskatchewan Roughriders2011Henoc Muamba Linebacker St. Francis Xavier Winnipeg Blue Bombers2012Ben HeenanOffensive linemanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan Roughriders2013Linden GaydoshDefensive linemanCalgaryHamilton Tiger-Cats2014Pierre LavertuOffensive linemanLavalCalgary Stampeders2015Alex MateasOffensive linemanUConnOttawa Redblacks2016Josiah St. JohnOffensive linemanOklahomaSaskatchewan Roughriders2017Faith EkakitieDefensive linemanIowaWinnipeg Blue Bombers2018Mark ChapmanWide receiverCentral MichiganHamilton Tiger-Cats2019Shane RichardsOffensive linemanOklahoma StateToronto Argonauts2020Jordan Williams Linebacker East CarolinaBC Lions2021 Jake Burt Tight end Boston CollegeHamilton Tiger-Cats2022 Tyrell Richards Linebacker Syracuse Montreal Alouettes2023 Dontae Bull Offensive lineman Fresno State Ottawa Redblacks2024 Joel Dublanko Linebacker Cincinnati Edmonton Elks2025 Damien Alford Wide receiver Utah Calgary Stampeders2026 Giordano Vaccaro Offensive lineman Purdue Ottawa Redblacks

Foreign drafts Year Player Position Team drafted from(College or professional) CFL team2019 Mexican Diego Viamontes Wide receiver Mayas CDMX Edmonton Eskimos2019 European Valentin Gnahoua Defensive lineman Berlin Rebels Hamilton Tiger-Cats2021 Global Jake Ford Punter Ouachita Baptist BC Lions2022 Global Kingsley Jonathan Defensive end SyracuseMontreal Alouettes2023 Global Blessman Ta’ala Defensive lineman Hawaii Ottawa Redblacks2024 Global Eteva Mauga-Clements Linebacker Nebraska Edmonton Elks2025 Global Fraser Masin Punter Mississippi Calgary Stampeders 2026 Global Aidan Laros Punter Kentucky Ottawa Redblacks

Statistics

Since 1956, Simon Fraser University and the University of Western Ontario hold the record for most first overall picks with five apiece. Three SFU players selected in 2010 CFL Draft Among NCAA schools, the only ones with more than one first overall pick are Washington State University and Weber State University, each with two. (Although Simon Fraser is now an NCAA member, it did not hava a top overall pick since joining that body, and has since disbanded its football team.) Since 1956, the Toronto Argonauts have had the most first overall picks with 11. The Montreal Alouettes have gone the longest without a first overall draft pick, after selecting first in 1972 and then waiting until 2022 before picking first again. The Alouettes have also had the fewest first overall selections with three. Only two first overall draft selections have been awarded the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie since the award was created in 1972; Orville Lee in 1988 and Jordan Williams in 2021. No team has ever made the first overall draft pick for more than three straight years.

References

External links CFL Canadian Draft Draft results 1970–present