CFL Scouting Bureau: McGill’s Duvernay-Tardif still top prospect heading into May 13 draft

CFL Scouting Bureau: McGill’s Duvernay-Tardif still top prospect heading into May 13 draft

OTTAWA (CIS) – Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, an offensive tackle from McGill University, is still the number one prospect for the 2014 CFL Canadian Draft, which will take place on May 13.
The CFL's Scouting Bureau released its third and final Top 15 list of the season on Tuesday.

Duvernay-Tardif, who was also voted No. 1 on September 11 and on January 14, remains atop the ranking which includes – for the third straight time – 13 CIS players along with two members of the NCAA's Simon Fraser Clan.

Duvernay-Tardif added a number of honours to his impressive resume at the end of the 2013 CIS campaign, his fourth with the Redmen. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound medical student was named a first-team all-Canadian for the second straight year, received the J.P. Metras Trophy as the country's top down lineman, was the RSEQ conference nominee for the Russ Jackson Award (football, academics & citizenship) and, last but not least, was selected as a Top Eight Academic All-Canadian out of over 11,000 CIS student athletes.

Last January, Duvernay-Tardif was one of two CIS standouts invited to play in the 89th edition of the prestigious East-West Shrine Game - the longest running university all-star game in the United States - at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was accompanied by University of Manitoba defensive tackle Evan Gill, who sits at No. 6 going into the May 13 draft, the same position he held three months ago.

Other CIS players included on the final Scouting Bureau list are Montreal offensive lineman David Foucault (No. 2 / up one position), Laval offensive lineman Pierre Lavertu (No. 3 / down one), Concordia defensive lineman Quinn Smith (No. 4 / previously unranked), St. Francis Xavier wide receiver Devon Bailey (No. 5 / down one), Western defensive lineman Dylan Ainsworth (No. 7 / up eight), Manitoba running back Anthony Coombs (No. 8 / up one), Queen's defensive back Andrew Lue (No. 10 / down two), Laval defensive back Adam Thibault (No. 11 / up two), Montreal defensive lineman David Ménard (No. 13/ previously unranked), Montreal defensive back Antoine Pruneau (No. 14 / previously unranked) and Western linebacker Beau Landry (No. 15 / down eight).

Last May, University of Calgary defensive tackle Linden Gaydosh became the seventh CIS player in as many years – and the 11th in the past 14 years - to be selected first overall in the CFL Draft when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats called his name at No. 1. He had been ranked second, third and third on the three Scouting Bureau lists of 2012-13.

The 15 players who were on the spring list a year ago ended up being selected in the draft, including seven in the first round. The expansion Ottawa RedBlacks hold the No. 1 pick in 2014.

The CFL's Scouting Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league's nine teams.

CFL release: http://www.cfl.ca/article/final-scouting-bureau-rankings#

CFL SCOUTING BUREAU APRIL 22, 2014 LIST:

Rank - Name - University - Hometown - Pos. - Ht. - Wt. - Prev.
1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif McGill St. Hilaire, Que. OL 6-5 315 (1)
2. David Foucault Montreal LaSalle, Que. OL 6-8 320 (3)
3. Pierre Lavertu Laval Quebec City, Que. OL 6-3 300 (2)
4. Quinn Smith Concordia Scarborough, Ont. DL 6-2 305 (NR)
5. Devon Bailey StFX Mississauga, Ont. WR 6-5 202 (4)
6. Evan Gill Manitoba Winnipeg, Man. DL 6-3 280 (6)
7. Dylan Ainsworth Western Delta, B.C. DL 6-3 225 (15)
8. Anthony Coombs Manitoba Winnipeg, Man. RB 5-9 190 (9)
9. Matthias Goossen Simon Fraser Richmond, B.C. OL 6-4 294 (5)
10. Andrew Lue Queen's Markham, Ont. DB 6-2 210 (8)
11. Adam Thibault Laval Quebec City, Que. DB 6-0 195 (13)
12. Casey Chin Simon Fraser Port Moody, B.C. LB 5-10 214 (11)
13. David Ménard Montreal Chicoutimi, Que. DL 6-1 265 (NR)
14. Antoine Pruneau Montreal Montreal, Que. DB 6-0 190 (NR)
15. Beau Landry Western Kitchener, Ont. LB 5-11 201 (7)

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