Clemons and assistant general manager John Murphy got a head start on the team’s off-season planning joining the team in October and since taking over, the Argos roster has been through serious turnover. The main focus has been to improve the team’s Canadian talent and Toronto did most of that during free agency.

Out of the seven players the Argos took, four were from Ontario including three from the GTA. Toronto doesn’t appear to be shy to showcase more of the local talent from their own backyard.

Going into this draft, the Argos were looking to take advantage of the four picks they had in the top 20. It was clear they knew which positions they wanted to target and certain intangibles they were looking for with each pick.

There were many surprises from the draft starting with Dejon Brissett at second overall for some who thought maybe that was too early for the Mississauga receiver.

Even though Toronto added some offensive weapons in DaVaris Daniels, Juwan Brescasin and Natey Adjei in free agency, they decided to dip into the local talent pool to add a player they believe can be a difference-maker coming out of the draft.

Brissett saw a big rise up the draft rankings and it was clear that he was on the Argos’ radar leading up to the draft. The team clearly saw the upside he brings considering he can be a factor on special teams and provide insurance if the T.J. Jones situation doesn’t clear up anytime soon.

Considering the Argos had three more picks including two really close to each other at ninth and 11th overall, it was almost a sure bet that the team was going to pick an offensive lineman with one of them then focus on the defence.

With the last pick in the first round, the Argos made another surprising selection in Theren Churchill. As John Hodge mentioned in his draft grades, the Alberta native has good feet and is punishing in the run game.

Mike Hogan mentioned in the behind the scenes look at the Argos draft room, the team believed the drop-off in talent on the offensive line after Churchill made it a priority to get him at nine.

Their next pick might have been one of their better ones in the entire draft getting Jack Cassar from Carelton at 11th overall. He will get plenty of opportunity to learn from a great linebacker in Bear Woods who will certainly have no problem taking Cassar under his wing.

Named the OUA Outstanding Defensive Player and an All-Canadian in 2019, the Mississauga native is a hard-hitting linebacker who likes to get after the quarterback. Hodge mentions that he will have to work on his ability to shed blocks which should hopefully improve with some coaching and if it all comes together, the Argos will have a core piece in the middle of their defence for the foreseeable future.

Getting Sam Acheampong with the territorial selection was a big win for the Argos considering his ability to get off the line quickly with an explosive first step. Like Cassar, it will take time for the Wilfrid Laurier product to carve out a permanent role on the defensive front but his potential is tough to overlook. He will at least compete to get a lot of playing time on special teams.

Continuing the trend of adding players with impressive size and potential, Dylan Giffen was seen as a player that could have been picked much earlier than at 28th overall. He dropped 30 pounds according to Hogan which means he is certainly committed to make the transition to professional football.

By dropping weight, it should help his quickness and the Argos will like that defenders will have a tough time getting through him when they engage. Giffen is a player who could be a steal as a third-round pick.

With their final two picks in the draft, the Argos kept their focus on special teams by getting Dion Pellerin at 42nd overall and Sam Baker at 48.

Looking at the Argos’ roster, it’s easy to make the comparison between Pellerin and Declan Cross because he provides the Argos with similar versatility, imagine a linebacker at the running back/fullback position. As a downhill runner, he has deceptive speed for his size and is a solid tackler.

Baker was productive when on the field as a receiver with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies but he can provide the team with a backup long snapper. Jake Reinhart was re-signed but the Argos lost Joe Spaziani to retirement so Toronto will get some much-needed insurance in case Reinhart suffers an injury.

The post Argos 2020 CFL draft class showcases GTA talent and versatility appeared first on 3DownNation.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way CFL teams are preparing for the upcoming draft, it hasn’t taken away the fact that it is an important one for the Argonauts.

We got a good look at how the new management regime led by Michael “Pinball” Clemons and John Murphy wanted to strengthen the team’s Canadian talent in free agency. Of the 13 players the Argos added on day one, eight were national players.

It wasn’t just the number of Canadians they added but getting players who can be impactful starters, providing them with flexibility on their roster. Not only that, but it also impacts how they approach the draft.

Going into Thursday night’s draft, Toronto owns four picks in the top 20 selections and the team feels like they are in a position to take advantage of one of the best draft classes in recent memory.

“It’s a deep draft where there are potential future starters and potential impact players in multiple positions all over the field,” said Argos’ Director of Canadian Scouting, Vince Magri.

“That’s one of the really exciting things about going into this draft. With a bunch of picks in the top 20, there are so many good football players here that we’re in a position to make our roster a lot stronger.”

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, teams have had to adapt their evaluation process for the draft with the scouting combine cancelled and homes becoming temporary offices. This has allowed them to conduct team meetings to go over draft strategy and virtual interviews with prospects.

Magri said not having a combine isn’t ideal but it hasn’t thrown as big of a wrench into the Argos’ draft process. They will just continue to work with all the information they have gathered from scouting trips and the countless hours of film they have at their disposal.

“The biggest thing is just not having verified testing numbers, medicals and in-person interviews. That’s what we’re missing,” explained Magri.

“But by using the phone or using Zoom, there’s ways we can kind of fill those gaps and complete the picture on these prospects.”

Players have also held virtual workouts and testing for teams showing that they are staying in shape, which is important especially during this time. It also allows any prospect who might have had an injury to give teams a sense on where they are in their recovery process.

For the Argos, they understand how important it is to try and find players that can come in and compete right away. Especially considering that has been the recipe for success for the teams that have been able to compete on a consistent basis.

Where the team is looking to capitalize on their work is flexibility in terms of who they can select in the early part of the draft, including their territorial pick at the end of the second round.

“While we don’t want to be picking in this territory round anymore, because it implies that we finished in the bottom two, there are a lot of high-quality local football players at our disposal at that pick,” said Magri.

“Luckily, we’re at a point where we don’t have to reach for somebody that might not necessarily be worthy of being taken that high.”

The Argos have conducted their own mock drafts to prepare for any potential hiccups that could occur on Thursday and considering how successful the NFL was able to conduct their draft, there aren’t many concerns about the process of making a pick.

“Our staff will be videoed into each other and someone will be on a conference call with the league,” said Magri.

“So really, it’s not much different than the way it’s always been since everyone is usually in a war room. The only difference, really, is that our war room is going to be a Zoom room but the way we communicate with teams and the league will be the same as usual.”

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