Riders GM Jeremy O’Day says team can take best available player in CFL draft

The Saskatchewan Roughriders don’t believe they need to focus on one position during Tuesday’s CFL draft.

“I think we’re in pretty good shape as far as our Canadian talent. I don’t think there’s an area that we need to focus in on more than an other,” said Riders general manager Jeremy O’Day, whose team has the seventh overall pick in the draft.

“I think we’re in a position when that picks comes and we remain in that spot, we will be looking to take the best player available. When it comes down to it, we really try to take the best player available.”

O’Day said they’ve done their prep work for the draft, giving out draft grades to each player and eliminating players they don’t think are draftable.

“We refined the draft list, which is a pretty big list. A lot of information gets gathered and a lot of calls that get made and a lot of hours put into the draft and preparing for it,” O’Day said.

From there, each positional coach evaluates their position and personnel to try to determine which players could be fits.

O’Day said that just minutes before a call with media last week, the group did a mock draft as part of their preparation.

He said it was nice to have normalcy once again when it came to the combine and the U Sports season.

“We’ve had a good opportunity to see those guys on film and in person. This is the first year we’re back at the combine,” O’Day said. “It feels a little more like normal. I think last year was a little more difficult when you’re evaluating guys who didn’t have a combine.

“We had a lot of guys who were sending in their own (tapes from) pro days where they are running in different spots where you don’t know if it’s a 40-yard dash or a 37-yard dash.”

He also provided an update on the 2021 Riders’ first round draft choice, Nelson Lokombo. The defensive back was one of four players who suffered torn Achilles injuries a day before the 2021 training camp was set to open.

“Nelson should be good to go. All the medical reports that we are getting are that he is ready for camp. We expect him to come in and compete,” O’Day said.