2019 CFL–LFA Draft
2019 LFA–CFL draft logo
General information
SportCanadian football
Date(s)January 14, 2019[1]
Time10:00 am CST
LocationMexico City
Overview
27 total selections in 3 rounds
First selectionDiego Viamontes, WR, Edmonton Eskimos

The 2019 CFL–LFA Draft took place on January 14, 2019.[2][1] 27 players were chosen from an invited pool of 51 Mexican players: 34 from the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA) (a professional American football league) and 17 seniors from Mexican university teams.[3]

Background

In October 2018, Canadian Football League commissioner Randy Ambrosie outlined a plan to grow the CFL's presence, which he dubbed CFL 2.0, including growth internationally.[4] In November 2018, the LFA signed a non-binding Letter of Intent with the CFL to share resources and to allow for at least one CFL game to be played in Mexico,[5] as wells as lay the ground work for special Mexican-specific editions of the CFL Combine and CFL Draft.

On January 11, 2019, 51 players from the LFA and Mexican college ranks were announced as participants in a combine to beheld on January 13 and a 27-player draft to be held on January 14, 2019.[1] Each CFL team sent scouts and were reported to likely receive four picks.[1] Consensus after the combine was that 6-18 players were of (or could be made into) CFL camp caliber, but that a majority of players had no professional potential.[6] This led to criticism of commissioner Ambrosie for spending time and resources on this additional draft, when a collective bargaining agreement with the CFLPA still had not been reached.[7] Originally, there were plans for a 4-round 36-player draft but, after the combine and interviews, was scaled back to a 3-round, 27-player draft.[8] BC Lions General Manager Ed Hervey was reported to have, "settled for athletic and the ability to speak English" in player evaluations.[9] It was not reported if drafted players would count towards a team's National or International slots.[10]

On January 12, 2019, the LFA held their own domestic 66-player draft in advance of the CFL's draft.[11]

Selection order

Unlike the normal CFL Draft, which sets selection order based on a team's record the previous season (similar to the NFL Draft), the CFL–LFA draft instead used a weighted lottery system where teams receive more balls in a selection bin depending on their record, with more balls increasing the chance at a higher draft priority (similar to the NBA draft).[1] The draft order was set the night before the draft:[12] The Edmonton Eskimos received the first pick, despite Edmonton's general manager and head coach both skipping the combine and draft process, sending a subordinate instead. Edmonton GM Brock Sunderland in particular was largely dismissive of the entire process.[13]

Pick #CFL TeamLottery weight
(% chance for 1st pick)
1Edmonton Eskimos6/45 (13.3%)
2Ottawa Redblacks2/45 (4.4%)
3Montreal Alouettes8/45 (17.8%)
4Toronto Argonauts9/45 (20%)
5Hamilton Tiger-Cats7/45 (15.6%)
6Saskatchewan Roughriders3/45 (6.7%)
7BC Lions5/45 (11.1%)
8Winnipeg Blue Bombers4/45 (8.9%)
9Calgary Stampeders1/45 (2.2%)

Selections

Round one

Pick #CFL TeamPlayerPositionCollege/LFA team
1Edmonton EskimosDiego ViamontesWRMayas CDMX
2Ottawa RedblacksJosé Carlos MaltosKFundidores de Monterrey
3Montreal AlouettesEnrique YennyKITESM Toluca
4Toronto ArgonautsUriel MartínezDEUANL
5Hamilton Tiger-CatsJosé Humberto Noriega MontielWRArtilleros de Puebla
6Saskatchewan RoughridersRené BrasseaOLFundidores de Monterrey
7BC LionsOctavio GonzálezDLFundidores de Monterrey
8Winnipeg Blue BombersSergio SchiaffinoDBDinos de Saltillo
9Calgary StampedersAndrés SalgadoWRCondors CDMX

Round two

Pick #CFL TeamPlayerPositionCollege/LFA team
10Edmonton EskimosDaniel CarreteLBDinos de Saltillo
11Ottawa RedblacksGuillermo VillalobosWRMexicas de la Ciudad de México
12Montreal AlouettesDiego Rojas KuhlmannOLITESM Toluca
13Toronto ArgonautsDavid CasarrubiasDEUANM
14Hamilton Tiger-CatsOmar CojolumRBMayas CDMX
15Saskatchewan RoughridersCarlos Sebastián Olvera RivasWRUDLAP
16BC LionsFernando RicharteWRDinos de Saltillo
17Winnipeg Blue BombersManuel Eduardo Hernández ReyesSUDLAP
18Calgary StampedersOscar Hugo Silva RetaKDinos de Saltillo

Round three

Pick #CFL TeamPlayerPositionCollege/LFA team
19Edmonton EskimosJose Alfonsin RomeroDBArtilleros de Puebla
20Ottawa RedblacksMaximiliano Soto EsquerDEITESM Monterrey
21Montreal AlouettesJuan Manuel Márquez TamayoCBUDLAP
22Toronto ArgonautsChristian Alejandro Hernández DelgadoLBFundidores de Monterrey
23Hamilton Tiger-CatsLuis Humberto López TinocoRBCondors CDMX
24Saskatchewan RoughridersFrancisco Javier García RamírezCBFundidores de Monterrey
25BC LionsGerardo ÁlvarezWRDinos de Saltillo
26Winnipeg Blue BombersGabriel AmavizcaKBUAP
27Calgary StampedersGuillermo Caldéron LealDTUDLAP

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Dan Barnes (January 11, 2019). "'FUN ELEMENT': CFL set for inaugural draft of Mexican talent".
  2. "Mexico's top talent selected at CFL-LFA Draft". cfl.ca. January 14, 2019.
  3. "CFL combine, draft in Mexico 'important first step' to expand brand". Toronto Sun. 11 January 2019.
  4. "Randy's Word: Talking CFL 2.0". 3 October 2018.
  5. "CFL, LFA sign letter of intent to grow football in Canada and Mexico". Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  6. Naylor, David William (13 January 2019). "Consensus from talking to CFL coaches and GM's at Mexico City combine: of the 50 players here, roughly a half-dozen would not look out of place in a CFL camp, another dozen could be developed into camp-worthy players and roughly 30 have no CFL pro potential. #CFL".
  7. Edwards, Drew. "Mexican combine produces six players who 'would not look out of place in a CFL camp' - 3DownNation".
  8. Barnes, Dan (13 January 2019). "The original thought was to have a two-round draft in Mexico, then perhaps a four-round affair to choose top prospects and long-term projects but it was dependent on talent. CFL personnel decided on three rounds. Happy medium".
  9. "Mexican combine, CBA talks make for unusual off-season: Lions' Hervey - The Province". 17 January 2019.
  10. Hodge, John. "Logistics following LFA draft a problem for CFL - 3DownNation".
  11. "Mexico: Liga de Futbol Americano Professional holds 2019 Draft". American Football International. 13 January 2019.
  12. Barnes, Dan (13 January 2019). "Full draft order: EDMONTON, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Sask., BC, Winnipeg, Calgary".
  13. Edwards, Drew. "Brock Sunderland finally said what we've all been thinking about the CFL in Mexico - 3DownNation".


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