2019 CFL Draft First Round Recap
Published on May 2, 2019 under Canadian Football League (CFL) News Release
TORONTO - With the first pick in the 2019 CFL Draft, the Toronto Argonauts selected offensive lineman Shane Richards from Oklahoma State.
Below is the 2019 CFL Draft first round recap:
Selection Team Name Position Hometown School
1 Toronto Argonauts Shane Richards OL Calgary, AB Oklahoma State
2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats Jesse Gibbon OL Hamilton, ON Waterloo
3 Edmonton Eskimos Mathieu Betts DL Montréal, QC Laval
4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Drew Desjarlais OL Belle River, ON Windsor
5 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Jonathan Kongbo DL Surrey, BC Tennessee
6 Saskatchewan Roughriders Justin McInnis WR Pierrefonds, QC Arkansas State
7 Ottawa REDBLACKS Alex Fontana OL Toronto, ON Kansas
8 Calgary Stampeders Hergy Mayala WR Montréal, QC Connecticut
For up to the minute news and extensive draft coverage, visit CFL.ca. To follow the draft pick-by-pick, visit CFL Draft Tracker. Fans can continue to watch the CFL Draft on TSN until 10:00 p.m. ET followed by live streaming coverage of the later rounds available on TSN.ca and the TSN app beginning at 10 p.m. ET for TSN and TSN Direct subscribers.
POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN FIRST ROUND:
Offensive Linemen: 4
Defensive Linemen: 2
Receivers: 2
NOTES:
Shane Richards is the first offensive lineman taken first overall since 2016 and the first Oklahoma State Cowboy to be selected first in the CFL Draft.
This marks five consecutive years that a NCAA player has been selected first overall: 2018 Mark Chapman, 2017 Faith Ekakitie, 2016 Josiah St. John and 2015 Alex Mateas.
Jesse Gibbon is the highest Waterloo player ever drafted; his selection is the first time a Waterloo player has gone in the first round outside of territorial picks since 1972.
With Mathieu Betts selected in the first round, seven Laval players since 2014 have been drafted in the opening round.
Drew Desjarlais becomes the first player from the University of Windsor to be selected in the first round.
Justin McInnis becomes the first player drafted from Arkansas State and the first receiver taken in the first round by the Saskatchewan Roughriders since 2015 when they selected Nic Demski sixth overall.
Ottawa selected Alex Fontana, making it five consecutive years that they have selected an offensive lineman with their first pick.
Calgary selected receiver Hergy Mayala; it's the first time the Stampeders have selected a receiver in the opening round since 2011 when they selected Anthony Parker. It also marks back-to-back seasons for University of Connecticut players selected in the first round (2018 Trey Rutherford).
Training camps are set to open on May 19. The 2019 season begins on June 13 when the Saskatchewan Roughriders face off against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Fans can stay up to date on all the non-stop action at CFL.ca, follow the 2019 season from around the world, and join us at a game. The 107th Grey Cup presented by Shaw will be played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday, November 24.
Canadian Football League Stories from May 2, 2019
- Blue Bombers 2019 Draft Recap - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Riders Select McInnis 6th Overall - Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 2019 CFL Draft First Round Recap - CFL
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers Select Winnipeg-Born Running Back Brady Oliveira with 14th Overall Selection in 2019 CFL Draft - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Stamps Select Hergy Mayala in First Round - Calgary Stampeders
- RedBlacks Select OL Alex Fontana with Seventh Overall Pick in 2019 CFL Draft - Ottawa RedBlacks
- Eskimos Select Defensive Lineman Mathieu Betts with Third Overall Pick in 2019 CFL Draft - Edmonton Elks
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers Select Tennessee Defensive End Jonathan Kongbo with 5th Overall Selection in 2019 CFL Draft - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers Select Windsor Offensive Lineman Drew Desjarlais with 4th Overall Selection in 2019 CFL Draft - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Tiger-Cats Select Hamilton Native Offensive Lineman Jesse Gibbon 2nd Overall in 2019 CFL Draft - Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Argos Select National OL Shane Richards with the First Overall Pick in the 2019 CFL Draft - Toronto Argonauts
- Stamps Ready to Hike for Hospice - Calgary Stampeders
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