Samwise CFL Newsletter
Monday, April 27, 2026
Ottawa-Born Akheem Mesidor Selected 22nd Overall, Becomes First Canadian Defensive Player Taken in NFL Round One
Ottawa defensive end Akheem Mesidor made Canadian football history Thursday when the Los Angeles Chargers selected him 22nd overall in the 2026 NFL Draft’s first round. The six-foot-three, 265-pound edge rusher from Ottawa became the seventh Canadian ever taken in round one and the first Canadian defensive player to earn that distinction. Mesidor spent one season at Miami, recording 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 17.5 tackles for loss in 15 games while earning first-team All-ACC and second-team All-American honours. The CFL Scouting Bureau had ranked him as the top national prospect before he opted for the NFL path. His heart dropped, he told reporters, when his name was called.
Sources: 3DownNation, TSN
2026 CFL Canadian Draft Opens Tuesday With Ottawa Holding First Pick, Vaccaro Widely Projected to Go First Overall
The 2026 CFL Canadian Draft kicks off Tuesday at 7 p.m. EDT with eight rounds of selections drawn from Canadian university programs and eligible NCAA and NAIA players. Ottawa holds the first overall pick after finishing the 2025 season with a 4–14 record, the worst mark in the league. Giordano Vaccaro, a six-foot-two, 307-pound offensive lineman from Purdue who won the J.P. Metras Trophy as Canada’s top university lineman, is widely projected to go first. Edmonton and Winnipeg each hold additional second-round picks. TSN broadcasts the first two rounds live. The CFL Global Draft follows on Wednesday at 1 p.m. EDT.
Sources: 3DownNation, TSN
Heisman Finalist Diego Pavia Goes Undrafted by NFL; Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hold His CFL Negotiation Rights
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the SEC offensive player of the year who led the Commodores to their first 10-win season in school history, went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft and has not yet signed with any team. The five-foot-ten Heisman Trophy finalist recorded 4,401 total yards and 39 touchdowns in 2025, but his height appears to have been a barrier — only three quarterbacks that short have started in the NFL since 1970. If Pavia pursues a professional career, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hold his exclusive CFL negotiation rights. CFL rookie camps open May 6, giving him a clear north-of-the-border option.
Sources: 3DownNation
Canadian Receiver Malick Meiga Signs With Panthers While Lineman Niklas Henning Accepts Colts Mini-Camp Invite
Two Canadian prospects expected at the 2026 CFL Draft are instead testing their NFL credentials. Receiver Malick Meiga, ranked 17th in the CFL Draft, signed a $15,000 undrafted free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers after the NFL Draft concluded Saturday, choosing Carolina over several other offers based on his chances to contribute on special teams. Offensive lineman Niklas Henning, ranked 14th in the CFL Draft after a standout combine performance, accepted a rookie mini-camp invitation from the Indianapolis Colts. The six-foot-three Meiga ran a 4.43-second forty at his pro day. Both players retain their CFL eligibility regardless of how their NFL evaluations proceed.
Sources: 3DownNation (Meiga), 3DownNation (Henning)
Ottawa Redblacks Fined $18,002 for Exceeding 2025 CFL Salary Cap; Draft Picks Not Affected
The CFL levied an $18,002 fine against the Ottawa Redblacks for exceeding the league’s 2025 Salary Expenditure Cap of $6,062,365. The penalty matches dollar-for-dollar the amount by which Ottawa exceeded the cap, the standard consequence for teams whose overages are less than $100,000. Ottawa does not lose any selections in the 2026 CFL Draft, which begins Tuesday. The Redblacks were aggressive spenders in free agency, adding defensive players A.J. Allen, C.J. Reavis, and Habakkuk Baldonado, quarterback Jake Maier, and running back Greg Bell. Ottawa finished 4–14 in 2025. The BC Lions lost first and second-round picks last year after a more significant cap overage.
Sources: 3DownNation, TSN
Nigel Romick, Original Ottawa Redblack, Retires After 11 Seasons and Three Grey Cup Finals
National defensive lineman Nigel Romick, one of the original Ottawa Redblacks when the franchise launched in 2014, has retired from professional football at age 35. Romick, a third-round pick from Saint Mary’s University, spent his entire 11-year career in Ottawa, appearing in 130 regular-season games and helping the club reach three Grey Cup finals, including winning the 2016 CFL championship. The six-foot-four, 230-pound defensive tackle was described by Ottawa’s vice-president of football operations, Shawn Burke, as having brought toughness and consistency throughout his career. Romick had told TSN Radio that he had been weighing this decision for a couple of years.
Purdue Offensive Lineman Giordano Vaccaro Ready for Pro Football on Eve of CFL Draft
Giordano Vaccaro, the Winnipeg native projected by most analysts as Tuesday’s first overall pick in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft, has spent the past year cementing that expectation. The six-foot-two, 307-pound offensive lineman won the J.P. Metras Trophy as the top lineman in Canadian university football before accepting a scholarship at Purdue in the Big Ten. At his pro day, Vaccaro recorded 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and attracted scouts from all nine CFL teams. He ranked 19th on the official CFL Scouting Bureau list. Ottawa holds the first overall pick and is widely expected to call his name Tuesday evening.
Sources: CFL.ca, 3DownNation
2025 Final Standings
Eastern Division
1. Hamilton Tiger-Cats — 22 pts (11–7–0)
2. Montréal Alouettes — 20 pts (10–8–0)
3. Toronto Argonauts — 10 pts (5–13–0)
4. Ottawa REDBLACKS — 8 pts (4–14–0)
2026 season opens June 2026
Western Division
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders — 24 pts (12–6–0)
2. BC Lions — 22 pts (11–7–0)
3. Calgary Stampeders — 22 pts (11–7–0)
4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 20 pts (10–8–0)
5. Edmonton Elks — 14 pts (7–11–0)
Saskatchewan won 112th Grey Cup 25–17 over Montréal
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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