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When
you consider how terrible the Canadian content of the Argos was under Adam
Rita, it’s amazing how much it has improved. Jim Barker deserves a lot of
credit for how he has built up the non-import talent on the team.
Picks: 8 picks, first
selection is 6th Overall
2013 Draft Assessment: The
short term payoff was minimal but long-term, this may yet prove to be a solid
draft class for the Argos. They used their top pick on offensive tackle Matt
Sewell who surprised a lot of folks by returning to school. But he is now
signed as is third round pick WR Natey Adjey. They are very high on second
round pick Jermaine Gabriel who say playing time in 2013 but should see a
larger role this season.
Potential Pipeline: LB
Cory Greenwood (Detroit), TE Luke Wilson (Seattle)
Current Strengths: Depth
along the O-line is pretty solid with the likes of Keeping, Van Zeyl, Koch,
Holmes, Smith and new additions Sewell and former #2 overall pick Scott
Mitchell. Andre Durie is one of their key offensive weapons and Spencer Watt is
quietly developing into a decent receiver. On the defensive side they are
strengthened by their big offseason acquisition Shea Emry. They already have
James Yurichuk to provide depth. The sudden retirement of Jordan younger last
year pretty much forced the Argos into playing Matt Black at safety. He
surprised some people by proving serviceable. The Argos are very high on
Jermaine Gabriel who may take over that spot this year. Either way, given that
they already start 4 Cdns on the OL along with Durie, having 2 Cdn spots on D
solidified gives them plenty of ratio flexibility.
Current Needs: All
aspects of their D have been deeply impacted this offseason. Gone are Thorpe,
Ball, Mitchell, Watkins, Williams, Pottinger and Lee. While this isn’t specifically
an issue with Canadians, you can bet Barker will be looking to add playmakers
to help shore up his defense regardless of passport. They don’t have any
glaring needs so they have the luxury of drafting the best players available.
Prediction: The
Argos have taken a lineman with their first pick in each of the last 5 drafts.
Odds are very good that streak will continue. With an early run on OL expected
that likely means it will be a D-lineman like Evan Gill or Dylan Ainsworth who they
end up taking.
Two
other things to keep in mind with the Argos. They are among the riskiest
drafters. They will take chances on players with NFL interests or players that
are off the radar. Sometimes it works out in the short term (like Cleyon Laing),
sometimes it pays off in the longer term (like Tyler Holmes) and sometimes is
just plains flops (like Cory Greenwood or Nick Kaczur). Also, they are not
afraid to make draft day deals so I expect them to be involved in a trade that
shakes up the draft order a bit in the later rounds.
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