Murray Wood: The Art of the CUSMA Deal
Insults, complaints that Canada is so mean, warnings the U.S. doesn't need us. It's all standard operating procedure. Th...
The Saskatchewan Roughriders rang the bell for its first pick of the CFL Draft.
The reigning Grey Cup champions selected defensive back Malcolm Bell with the ninth pick of the first round of the 2026 draft.
The Montreal, Que. athlete played with the UConn Huskies from 2022-24, where he made 20 starts. He transferred to the Michigan State Spartans for the 2025 season, where he played in 12 games. He started 11 of those at cornerback. He does have a rookie minicamp invite from the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.
In his career, he had 142 tackles and six pass breakups. He played 2,141 snaps in his collegiate career.
“He’s a long corner and played at a high level at Michigan State. A very good coverage corner and when you look at our roster and how we are constructed, we are starting two DBs going into camp,” Riders general manager Jeremy O’Day. “Just like a lot about him through his tape and going through the interview process.”
Starting defensive back Tevaughn Campbell signed an extension to come back to the team for the 2026 season. The Riders will also start a Canadian at safety with Nelson Lokombo expected to start there.
Last year, the Riders also went to the defensive side of the ball for its first round pick, selecting defensive tackle Ali Saad.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders won the 2025 Grey Cup in Winnipeg over the Montreal Alouettes, meaning the team had the final pick in the first round.
Saskatchewan had a CFL-best 12-6 record, which earned them the top spot in the CFL West Division.
The draft gives the Riders a chance to replenish some of the Canadian talent it has lost through free agency, like linebacker A.J. Allen and wide receiver Tommy Nield. Saskatchewan was also dealt a blow as the team released Ajou Ajou after he was suspended by the CFL for violating its gender-based violence and harassment policy.
In the second round, the Riders added to its Canadian receiver depth as it selected Dylan Djete with the 18th overall pick.
Djete, a product of Levis, Que., had 28 catches for 422 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games for the Alabama State Hornets. Before playing with the Hornets, he played with Wofford College.
“He’s a receiver we liked from the beginning. He’s someone we went back and looked at multiple times. Different from the receivers that we have. He’s a fast receiver and a willing blocker,” O’Day said. “We can do a lot of different things with him with how we are set up.”
In the third round, the Riders added to their offensive line room as they selected Darius Bell 29th overall. The 6’5″, 300-pound product of Hamilton, Ont., started all 13 games at centre for the East Carolina Pirates last season. He was the 13th-ranked prospect according to the CFL scouting bureau.
“A guy that can come and compete. He played at a high level at a big university and started a lot of games. He’s a guy that will come and compete,” O’Day said.
In the fourth round, Saskatchewan selected Calgary Dinos linebacker Osasere Odemwingie. The Calgary, Alta., product had 40 total tackles last season for the Dinos.
The fifth round saw another offensive lineman picked as Jez Janvier was the pick. The 6’5″, 314-pound offensive lineman played four years at Eastern Michigan University before transferring to Southern Mississippi for his senior season. He is originally from Montreal, Que.
“(Janvier) is more of a guard but also started a lot of games at Eastern Michigan and impressed us. Just thought there was a good value there where we took him,” O’Day said.
The sixth round saw Albert Reese IV selected by the Riders. The Edmonton, Alta., product is listed at 6’7″, 330 pounds on the Mississippi State Bulldogs website. He played both the tackle and guard positions for the Bulldogs. He has signed a deal with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
“We took a flyer with Albert. He’s a really good offensive lineman who is going to get a shot in the NFL. For all we know, he could be down there for a while but it felt like it was worth it at the time,” O’Day said.
Shemar McBean was the team’s pick in the seventh round. The University of British Columbia Thunderbird receiver had 792 yards and four touchdowns last season.
With the final pick of the draft, Saskatchewan selected Wilfrid Laurier fullback Ryan Speight. He had three touchdowns in his career. He has a knee injury, so O’Day doesn’t believe they will see him in 2026.
O’Day’s focus was on this year’s draft but in 2027, the CFL edition will take place before the NFL one which will throw a new wrinkle into the day.
“It’ll make it a lot more challenging. We’re not going to know where the NFL players are going to go. Some U Sports players are probably going to still be taking exams at the time. It will be a challenge but ultimately, the change is made and we will adjust to it. Every team is going to be in the same situation and they are going to have to do the same thing, so it’s going to make it a little tougher on all of us to try and project where the NFl guys are going to go before they go,” O’Day said.
University of Saskatchewan Huskies defensive end Charlie Parks was taken in the third round of the draft as the Ottawa Redblacks took him with the 31st overall pick. He recorded six and a half sacks and was named the Canada West lineman of the year last season.
University of Regina offensive lineman Ethan Graham was selected by the B.C. Lions in the sixth round (54th overall).
The U of S saw another one of their players get drafted as offensive lineman Jack Warrack was selected in the eighth round (71st overall) by the Calgary Stampeders.
