Mitch Picton working hard in hopes of regular role with Riders

Mitch Picton isn’t a stranger to hard work.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders wide receiver has spent the past few years on the team’s practice roster trying to crack the starting lineup – something he has done on two occasions in his three-season career.

But not being at the top of the depth chart also isn’t uncharted territory for the 26-year-old.

“It’s all a part of the process and if I had to go through some time on the practice roster and do it that way, that’s OK with me,” Picton said. “I came into the (University of Regina) Rams in the same sort of situation as a young guy and had to work my way up the depth chart and get to a point where I was actually starting and contributing.”

Picton, along with fellow Riders receiver Brayden Lenius, decided to use the past year-and-a-half to take their game to new levels. With the 2020 season cancelled due to COVID-19, the two spent most of that time in Regina and trained for the next time the CFL would take the field.

“It was very nice having him come back to Regina from Vancouver,” Picton said. “We put in a lot of days and long hours and it was great to have another guy to hold each other accountable and work on things.”

In previous years, Picton would work out with offensive linemen like Dan Clark, Brendon LaBatte and Logan Ferland.

“It was very nice to have another guy who plays the same position as me to work out with because our workouts are a little bit different in nature,” Picton said.

Both wide receivers have caught the attention of head coach Craig Dickenson.

“(Picton and Lenius) have been together working out every day since the end of 2019. I saw them in here all of last year, they were the two guys – them and Logan Ferland – working out, lifting weights and training and hard work pays off,” Dickenson said. “If there’s any message that needs to be said to the team it’s that those three guys (had a good camp) and look at how much they’ve improved and it isn’t because they changed what socks they wore or wore a different shirt, it’s because they worked hard, they ate well and they trained.

“I’m happy for Mitch. He’s earned a shot and he’s going to get it.”

That shot is something Picton is looking turn into a solidified starter’s role with his favourite childhood team.

Growing up in the Queen City, Picton spent his childhood cheering for the Green and White.

“Every young kid playing football in Saskatchewan grows up loving the Riders,” Picton said. “My family and extended family have always had season tickets so I certainly remember going to games with my grandpa and my dad and my uncles.”

While many kids in Saskatchewan choose to focus on hockey, the Picton family has often chosen to stay on the gridiron. His older brother Aaron was a member of the U of R Rams and Picton spent a lot of his time playing football with his cousin Noah throwing him the ball.

Noah went on to become one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in U-Sports history, throwing for a record 11,494 yards.

“He’s an incredible quarterback and I was very, very fortunate to grow up (with him) and even when we were in Atom playing (Regina Minor Football), just young guys able to throw around the ball. There’s not many guys that were able to grow up from the time they started playing ball until the pro level with a very, very good quarterback.”

Picton stayed in Regina to play with the U of R Rams. During his career there, Picton grabbed 169 receptions for 2,431 yards and 24 touchdowns.

His production with the Rams lead to a 3-0-6 area code flashing on his phone to let him know the Riders were taking him 37th overall (fifth round) of the 2017 CFL Draft.

“Just having your name called by anybody would be fantastic but it really is a dream come true to stay at home and be able to play with this team,” Picton said. “It was pretty special. On draft day, I had no idea where I was going to go.”

And now in 2021, Picton will get a chance to prove all the hard work he has done is worth it. Picton is set to start the first game of the campaign against the B.C. Lions after putting together a strong camp and an injury to Justin McInnis.

Picton is looking forward to once again running out of the tunnel at Mosaic Stadium after 628 days since the team’s last game.

“It’s going to be wild. I certainly know Rider fans,” Picton said. “I’ve grown up in Saskatchewan and I know what the team means to the community. It’s going to be loud and Rider fans are going to be fired up to be back in the stands and we’re also very excited to get back out there and play some football.”

And he expects a strong Picton contingency among the thousands of screaming Rider fans.

“They’ll be there and out in full force. It should be fun.”

Kickoff for the game is at 7:30 p.m.

The Green Zone pregame show begins at 5:30 p.m. and you can hear it on 980 CJME and 650 CKOM.