Mississippi punter Fraser Masin kicks the ball during the first half of an NCAA football game against Arkansas in Oxford, Mississippi, on Saturday, October 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Thomas Graning
The Calgary Stampeders made a bold move in the CFL's Global Draft on Tuesday by selecting Australian punter Fraser Masin with the first overall pick. Masin, who played college football at Ole Miss, will take over the punting duties left vacant after veteran punter Cody Grace moved to the Edmonton Elks following four successful seasons with Calgary. This selection wasn't surprising as the team had been seeking a replacement for Grace.
In a notable development, Winnipeg made a trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to secure the second overall pick, choosing British defensive lineman Kemari Munier-Bailey from Weber State. Winnipeg's trade involved sending their No. 8 pick and a 2025 fourth-round draft selection, along with Canadian defensive lineman Kyle Samson, to Hamilton.
Edmonton picked Nigerian linebacker Richard Jubunor at No. 3. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound player had previously signed with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks as a free agent but didn’t make the roster.
B.C. and Ottawa also went for punters in the first round. The Lions selected Irish punter Ross Bolger, while the Redblacks picked Australian Callum Eddings. Saskatchewan went with Belgian defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen at No. 6, a standout player from Georgia Tech who had been signed by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
Both Montreal and Hamilton continued the punter trend, selecting Australian punters. Montreal picked Joshua Sloan from Memphis, while Hamilton went with Josh Green from Oregon State.
The Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts selected Austrian offensive lineman Valentin Senn from UConn, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound player who had also signed with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
In the second round, Calgary added another Australian punter, Mark Vassett from Colorado. B.C., Ottawa, and Montreal each continued their punter picks, further emphasizing the importance of kickers in this year’s draft.
A total of 11 punters and kickers were selected in the draft. Edmonton and Toronto were the only teams that didn’t pick any, focusing instead on linebackers and linemen, respectively.
