2025 CFL Two-Round Mock Draft

If football fans enjoyed the thrills of the 2025 NFL Draft, another draft is happening on Tuesday.

The 2025 CFL Draft kicks off on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. EST. It will consist of eight rounds and 72 selections.

Some key notes to make include the B.C. Lions will not have their third and ninth overall picks after forfeiting those picks due to going over the salary cap. Instead, the Calgary Stampeders were rewarded with the last first—and second-round picks. The Edmonton Elks had to forego their first and eighth-round picks after making picks in the 2024 supplemental draft.

Here’s a full two-round mock draft:

Round 1

Pick 1 - Calgary Stampeders (Connor Shay, LB, Wyoming)

Shay has been the consensus number one pick in the draft after racking up 76 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and one interception in 12 games for Wyoming last year. The Stampeders were ranked last in run defense last year, allowing a staggering 125.6 yards per game. Shay fills a massive void at the middle linebacker level and can help alleviate the issues on defense.

Pick 2 - Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Darien Newell, DL, Queen’s)

Newell has the perfect combination to get after the quarterback and stop the running game. He made 33 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble in 10 games for Queen’s in 2024. Hamilton had the second-worst defense statistically in the CFL despite playing better down the stretch, and can use some reinforcements on the defensive line.

Pick 3 - Ottawa Redblacks (Keelan White, WR, Montana)

White is a tough possession receiver who quarterbacks can rely on to gain the yards needed on third down to move the chains. At Montana, White caught four touchdowns in the last three seasons and went over 600 yards receiving in 2023 and 2024. The Redblacks have some aging receivers, including Eugene Lewis, Justin Hardy, and Bralon Addison, who are at or over 31. White can be the future alongside Kalil Pimpleton and Nick Mardner for Dru Brown to throw it to for the future.

Pick 4 - Saskatchewan Roughriders (Hayden Harris, DL, Montana)

Harris is the best pure pass rusher in the CFL Draft. He racked up 9.5 sacks last season with the Grizzlies. He just signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent, which could complicate things. However, if he doesn’t make the final roster, Harris could be a great addition to the Riders’ defense late in the season as they make a final push to make the postseason.

Pick 5 - Montreal Alouettes (Christopher Fortin, OL, UConn)

One thing Montreal struggled to do a season ago was run the ball, as they ranked eighth with just 84.3 yards per game. The Alouettes need to build the offensive line up with stronger run blockers, and Fortin’s specialty is that. He’s got great feet and strength that give him a chance to battle for a starting spot in his rookie season.

Pick 6 - Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Jackson Findlay, DB, Western)

Last season at Western, Findlay made 63 tackles in 11 games. While he didn’t nab an interception in 2024, he did have seven in 2023, so don’t let the stats fool you into thinking he can be a ballhawk. The Blue Bombers want to get younger in the secondary, and Findlay would be a great addition to the unit as a solid tackler who can create turnovers.

Pick 7 - Toronto Argonauts (Paris Shand, DL, LSU)

Shand is a nice prospect that teams can move around as a tackle or a defensive end. He made 24 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks in 13 games last year for the Tigers. The Argos lost some good talent on the defensive line for the NFL, so they need to rebuild and develop younger talent for the future.

Pick 8 - Calgary Stampeders (Tiger Shanks, OL, UNLV)

Shanks made history at UNLV as the first lineman in school history to make the first-team All-Mountain West team in back-to-back years. If an NFL team doesn’t sign Shanks, expect him to go late in the first round and help Calgary build their offensive line to protect Vernon Adams Jr. at tackle.

Round 2

Pick 9 - Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Devin Veresuk, LB, Windsor)
Pick 10 - Edmonton Elks (Jaylen Smith, LB, North Texas)
Pick 11 - B.C. Lions (Erik Andersen, OL, Western)
Pick 12 - Ottawa Redblacks (Sam Carson, OL, Louisiana-Monroe)
Pick 13 - Saskatchewan Roughriders (Taylor Elgersma, QB, Wilfrid Laurier)
Pick 14 - Montreal Alouettes (Jeremiah Ojo, DL, Montreal)
Pick 15 - Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana)
Pick 16 - Toronto Argonauts (Damien Alford, WR, Utah)
Pick 17 - Calgary Stampeders (Ali Saad, DL, Bowling Green)
Pick 18 - Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Ethan Vibert, OL, South Dakota State)
Pick 19 - B.C. Lions (Arvin Hosseini, OL, UBC)

Highlights from the mock draft in the second round include two quarterbacks getting picked, with Elgersma and Rourke. Elgersma is intriguing as he is getting a shot at mini-camp with the Bills and Green Bay Packers, so there is still a chance CFL fans see him on a CFL roster. Rourke signed with the San Francisco 49ers and might be a while before the CFL gets him. Two quarterbacks are projected to go this early, though, which is a good sign that the quarterback talent in Canada is getting better.

Linebackers rule the top of the second round, with Devin Veresuk and Jaylen Smith going in picks nine and 10. Both are talented tackling machines who are versatile at linebacker. Hamilton and Edmonton need help on defense, so both would be guys who can step up in year one in the rotation or on special teams.