Riders take offensive lineman and linebacker with first picks in 2024 CFL Draft
The Saskatchewan Roughriders selected offensive lineman, Kyle Hergel, with their third overall pick in the first round of the 2024 Canadian Football League (CFL) draft Tuesday night.
“I think it’s a great legacy, great program to be part of. I’m really looking forward to it,” Hergel said of the Riders following his selection.
The former Boston College Eagle also spent time at Texas State and North Dakota.
“He’s got some flexibility to play all spots of the interior offensive lineman, physical player and someone that started a little bit lower in division one football and just kept getting bigger opportunities,” Jeremy O’Day, Saskatchewan Roughriders’ general manager and vice president of football operations said.
Hergel, who hails from Toronto, is signed as an undrafted free agent with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and that comes with the risk he does not play in the CFL anytime soon, if at all.
“There is some risk involved that you have to be willing to accept and we feel like the reward will pay for that, if we get the opportunity to get him,” O’Day said.
“I’m just kind of doing what I’ve done my whole career. Be prepared for any opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting down to New Orleans and any opportunity is a great opportunity. I’m just thankful. All you can do is compete and I’m an ultimate competitor,” Hergel said.
Despite his NFL opportunities, Hergel was quick to give the CFL some love and even has some league connections. He and the second overall pick, Nick Mardner, played for well known CFL coach and manager Adam Rita in high school.
“I remember going out to a bunch of games around our local area. Going to Hamilton games, just down the street. So kind of being bred in that CFL environment. Nick and I were also coached by Larry Jusdanis too. So we kind of grew up in that CFL system,” Hergel said.
The Roughriders second round pick had an even closer connection to home as they selected Nick Wiebe of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
The linebacker hails from Calgary, but has spent three seasons with the Huskies.
“It’s always nice [when they’re local] but it’s not the underlying thing. We’ve kind of trusted our draft board and he was the next guy,” O’Day said following the pick.
Wiebe is dealing with an injury right now that will delay his opportunity to play in the league.
“Someone we will have to wait a little while on but we saw the benefit of him coming back from injury and we’re excited to get him. We’ve done enough work on his medical background and how it’s going with his injury so we’re excited to get him,” O’Day said.
O’Day said he was not phased that the Riders’ first two picks would not pay off in the short term.
“We felt after hiring a new staff and going through our roster you see their thoughts and seeing if we had holes that we need to bring in guys immediately to compete. Coming out of it we weren’t scared to take some risks going into it. We feel like we’re in a decent position. We have some flexibility there. There’s a lot of different routes we can go with our (Canadian) ratio right now,” O’Day said.
A full list of this year’s draft picks can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
Jesus is their saviour, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president's backers say he shares faith, values
As Donald Trump increasingly infuses his campaign with Christian trappings while coasting to a third Republican presidential nomination, his support is as strong as ever among evangelicals and other conservative Christians.