The 2025 CFL Draft has come and gone, and we wanted to take a closer look at the 2025 CFL draft class overall. We already picked out 5 players on rosters who look to have star potential based on their elite-level athleticism. Now, we will shift gears and look at players who have been highly productive in previous stops. The thought is that their past performance could point to their future potential.
Table of Contents
- 1 10th Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Darien Newell, DL Edmonton Elks
- 1.1 14th Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Nate Beauchemin, DB Montreal Alouettes
- 1.2 18th Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Taylor Elgersma, QB Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 1.3 22nd Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Skyler Griffith, RB Edmonton Elks
- 1.4 55th Overall Selection 2025 CFL Draft Joey Zorn, RB Toronto Argonauts
- 2 Undrafted Free Agent to Watch
10th Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Darien Newell, DL Edmonton Elks
The first player on this list in my humble opinion has to be Darien Newell. It was recently reported that Newell is suspended for a full season to begin his CFL career. This will undoubtedly play a huge part in how his career starts with Edmonton. However, that does not mean that it will be entirely a bad thing. Newell was one of the most surefire players in this draft class.
Newell has a unique opportunity to take a calendar year to learn the defense, study the CFL landscape, and continue to train in preparation for joining the Elks next season. One thing I am not concerned about is his ability to produce once he can see the field. After starting slow in his freshman season with Queen’s he became a starter as a sophomore and immediately made a tremendous impact on the roster.
Playing 11 games in 2022 he managed 26 tackles including 10 for a loss, a career-high 7 sacks, and 1 pass deflection. From there on out he was able to put up 5+ sacks, and 8+ tackles for a loss over the next two seasons before declaring for the draft. He would graduate having produced 88 tackles, 27 for a loss, 17.5 sacks, 2 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble in his last 29 games before declaring for the 2025 CFL Draft.
14th Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Nate Beauchemin, DB Montreal Alouettes
Nate Beauchemin has a future star written all over his collegiate film. He is one of those players who simply has a nose for the ball, wherever it is, he was not far behind. Another player who was recognized as a near surefire player in this draft class, Beauchemin’s production while attending university was impressive.
Playing in just 4 games his freshman season he produced 3 tackles. In 2022 he took on a larger role, playing in 8 games and displaying an ability to wreak havoc near the line of scrimmage. He finished with 31 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, including 2 sacks. He also had 3 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 blocked kick.
Over the next two seasons, he took on a bigger role in coverage, and this paid off for the University of Calgary. Playing in the next 16 games Beauchemin would corral 8 interceptions, break up 11 more passes, force a fumble, recover a fumble, and block another kick. This all came just in time for declaring for the 2025 CFL Draft class.
Not only did he prove he could play at a high level, he did so being utilized in multiple different ways. This bodes well for the rest of his career. Weighing in at 6’1 204 pounds, Beauchemin has the necessary size And athleticism to lineup virtually anywhere in the defensive secondary. This if utilized correctly will maximize his value to any CFL team, while likely also inflating his production. It certainly does not hurt his case that he played USports and is highly familiar with the nuances of the CFL style of play.
18th Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Taylor Elgersma, QB Winnipeg Blue Bombers
I will preface this selection on this list by saying I do not expect Taylor Elgersma to play a single CFL snap until at the earliest, 2028. His size, arm talent, athleticism, and production put him on the NFL radar and after attending Green Bay Packers rookie minicamp, he earned a contract offer from the team.
The Packers already have their franchise quarterback, but realistically there is a very real possibility they see the value in having a high-upside developmental player on the roster as the quarterback three, or on the practice squad. Elgersma has above-average tools for an NFL rookie UDFA but is a project due in part to his lack of experience playing American football.
Regardless these tools will continue to intrigue teams looking for a player to develop behind an established starter for years to come. I give it a three-year window before we see any sort of doubt about Elgersma finding a home in the NFL. However, I do at some point see him playing in the CFL.
When he eventually joins the CFL team, he will immediately be one of the most talented players at the position in the league. Assuming that team is eventually still a Mike O’Shea-led Winnipeg Blue Bombers team, I love the chances of Elgersma turning into a potential star long-term. The thing about his CFL potential that cements a pretty high floor for his future production is his ability as a rusher. During his U sports career, he found the end zone 18 times while running the ball 127 times for 605 yards.
His size and athleticism could legitimately build him a long and fruitful career as a Chris Streveler-style quarterback 2 for the Blue Bombers. A player who can come in and start if needed, but also a player who can be a valuable asset in the short-yardage packages.
All this in a quarterback who managed over 10,500 passing yards, and a two-to-one touchdown to interception ratio in his three years as a starter. If the floor is having a 70-100 carry role in short-yardage situations, and the ceiling is a potential top 3 quarterback in the league, it’s hard to find reasons not to like this pick.
22nd Selection in the 2025 CFL Draft Skyler Griffith, RB Edmonton Elks
Skyler Griffith is a can’t-miss player in this draft class. While he is listed as a fullback or tight end depending on where you look, it actually could end up being his ability to tackle ball carriers more than it is his ability to be a ball carrier that keeps him on the Elks roster. Griffith spent time playing tight end, and linebacker during his U sports career.
The 6’3 225-pound athlete collected 54 tackles over a 22-game span. This included a career-high 25 tackles in 2023. In 2024 he followed it up with another career-high, this time with 12 receptions for 174 yards as a tight end. While his overall body of work did not produce eye-popping statistics, his ability to play multiple positions, as well as seeing snaps on virtually every special teams unit could help him find his way on the roster sooner rather than later.
His production would not necessarily be measured in offensive statistics, but he could be the type of special teams ace, and role player on offense, at least initially, that carves out a long career in the CFL. Sometimes special teams value has a way of allowing a player to stick around long enough to develop in other areas, and Griffith could be one of those players whose best days are still ahead of him.
55th Overall Selection 2025 CFL Draft Joey Zorn, RB Toronto Argonauts
Joey Zorn is the perfect combination of athleticism and production in a late-round draft pick. Production wise as a running back his heights weren’t rivaled by any others. In 26 games for Windsor, he managed 306 carries for 2,190 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also added 49 receptions for 480 yards and 2 touchdowns, 4 kick returns for 75 yards, and 3 punt returns for 38 yards.
As if his on-field production was not enough, Zorn put up an impressive performance at the CFL Combine.
40-yard dash 4.55 seconds 9th fastest
Bench Press 21 reps 11th most
3-cone drill 6.87 9th fastest
Broad Jump 10 ft. 3.5 inches 10th furthest
All while being the second-heaviest running back at the event. His performance at the combine was just the icing on the cake for a player whose production speaks for itself.
Undrafted Free Agent to Watch
Louis Geyer WR, Stuttgart Surge
Louis Geyer may not be a familiar name to CFL fans, but the 23-year-old has made a name for himself in Europe playing for two teams in the European League of Football. This includes the Stuttgart Surge and Helvetic Mercenaries. His rookie season came in 2021, and he has since produced a league-leading 2,854 yards, he is also tied for most receiving touchdowns with Reece Horn.
Horn has had stints on 3 separate NFL franchises, played in the AAF, and XFL 2020, and was on a CFL roster as recently as 2022 at 30 years old. To be in this company at just 23 years old is impressive in its own right. Hopefully, a CFL team brings him in and sees the value in developing the young receiver.
Geyer participated in the CFL combine putting up respectable numbers for his 6’1 7/8 204 pound frame. This included a 4.68 40-yard dash, 6.81 3-cone drills, 13 reps in the bench press, 33.5 inches vertical, and a 10’3 inch broad jump. He clearly has the athletic profile to play in the CFL, and with the ability to use high motion, he could be a dangerous player.
Arnaud Desjardins, QB Laval
Desjardins is the type of player who flew under the radar despite a solid U Sports career at Laval, and a decent performance at the CFL combine. Measuring in at 6’3 214 pounds he also has great size to play the position.
Running a 4.70 40-yard dash, and a 7.13 3-cone drill was respectable, to say the least, and showed he has the athleticism to run when needed. He actually graded out at an 8.55 of 10 in the relative athletic score. Playing in 7 games in 2024 Desjardins managed to complete 75.9% of his passes for 2,373 yards 17 touchdowns and 1 interception he added 16 carries for 57 yards.
This brought his career totals to 15 games 593 completions, 815 attempts, 6,494 yards 56 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, adding 98 carries for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns. His final season answered some large questions about his ability to protect the ball after 16 interceptions in his first three seasons. So far he has not signed anywhere but could be on the radar for several teams.
If you enjoyed this article and want to see more like it check out our CFL section.
Sponsor: Upside
This content and so much more is brought to you by Upside. Upside is a free not strings attached app that will pay you cashback for the purchases you already make. Gas, Groceries, or a Good Meal, with just 3 clicks, you can earn CashBack today at HUNDREDS of locations. Use our code Sam363682 to save an additional 15 cents per gallon on your next fuel purchase. With discounts up to 25 cents per gallon, you could earn 40 cents back per gallon on your first purchase. Again use our code Sam363682 at sign up.
YouTube
Please also help us continue growing on our YouTube Channel by subscribing if you haven’t already. Also like and comment on any videos you enjoy! Thank you for your support and we hope you continue to tune in! We return with #CFL Summer Showcase Northern Lights following the preseason! Tune in live with us at 8:00 am Eastern Time. Click the reminder below now!
Join the Conversation on Discord, Facebook, or Reddit
Are you on discord or facebook? Join our server/groups to jump in the conversation, stay up to
date on your favorite leagues and give us your hot takes. You can also promote your content!
Fantasy Reports Facebook Group
Discover more from Shady Sports Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.