It’s been a big week for the next wave of football players on both sides of the border. The Canadian Football League (CFL) draft took place on Tuesday night following the National Football League (NFL) Draft on the weekend.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders most prolific draft pick had his name called in both drafts.
With their third-round selection (25th overall), the green and white selected Quarterback Kurtis Rourke from Indiana University.
During the weekend, Rourke was picked by the San Francisco 49ers during the seventh- round (227th overall) pick in the NFL Draft.
In his only season with the Hoosiers, Rourke led Indiana to their best season in the college’s history with a 10-1 record and a birth to the College Football Playoffs. He had 2,827 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and four interceptions.
The 24-year-old managed all this despite suffering a torn ACL in his right knee.
On the weekend, 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan said Rourke should be medically cleared around the beginning of training camp but added the 49ers may elect to “redshirt” Rourke for the 2025 season to allow him to fully recover from the injury so he can compete for a roster spot in 2026, meaning the earliest the Roughriders could see the Oakville, Ontario product is towards the end of the 2026 season or the beginning of the 2027 season.
Rourke’s brother, Nathan has spent time on both sides of the border, starting with the BC Lions before moving on to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots and New York Giants. Last summer he rejoined the Lions and will be the team’s starting quarterback this season.
With their first two picks of the CFL Draft, the Roughriders addressed the trenches on both sides of the ball. With the fourth overall selection in the first round, Saskatchewan selected Bowling Green defensive lineman Ali Saad. Last season, the Windsor, Ontario product had five sacks, four tackles for losses and 40 tackles.
In the second round, Saskatchewan picked offensive lineman Erik Andersen from Western University. Listed at 6’6 314 lbs., Andersen spent five seasons with Western, playing 40 games at left tackle and only allowed two sacks over the last two seasons. He has accepted the invitation to the New Giants minicamp which could delay his arrival to Saskatchewan.
The Roughriders stayed within the province with a pair of picks, taking linebacker Seth Hundeby in the fourth round (34th overall) and wide receiver Daniel Wiebe with their final selection in the 8th round (69th overall).
Rounding out the Saskatchewan’s draft picks, were Windsor defensive lineman Liam Hoskins who was taken in the 5th round (43rd overall) and Calgary defensive back Gideon Agyei who was the pick in the 6th round (52nd overall).
With the draft over, the beginning of training camp is fast approaching in the CFL. The Roughriders will head to Saskatoon on May 11 to begin a brand-new season.