2026 CFL draft

2026 CFL draft
General information
Sport	Canadian football
Location	Toronto, Ontario
Overview
74 total selections in 8 rounds
League	CFL
Most selections (10)	Toronto Argonauts
Fewest selections (7)	BC Lions Ottawa Redblacks
←  2025 2027  →

The 2026 CFL national draft is a selection of national players by Canadian Football League teams that is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2026. Seventy-four players are scheduled to be chosen from among eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. ^{[1] [2]} That number is subject to change if there are any forfeited selections.

Format

As per the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, the two teams that had National players featured in the highest percentage of snaps played in the 2025 CFL season will each be awarded an additional second-round pick. ^[2]

Top prospects

Source: CFL Scouting Bureau rankings.

Final ranking	January ranking	August ranking [3]	Player	Position	University	Hometown
		1	Akheem Mesidor	Defensive lineman	Miami	Ottawa, ON
		2	Logan Taylor	Offensive lineman	Boston College	Lunenburg, NS
		3	Wesley Bailey	Defensive lineman	Louisville	Ottawa, ON
		4	Nick Cenacle	Wide receiver	Hawaii	Montreal, QC
		5	Albert Reese IV	Offensive lineman	Mississippi State	Edmonton, AB
		6	Jett Elad	Defensive back	Rutgers	Mississauga, ON
		7	Rene Konga	Defensive lineman	Louisville	Ottawa, ON
		8	Devynn Cromwell	Defensive back	Michigan State	Toronto, ON
		9	Nolan Ulm	Wide receiver	Eastern Washington	Kelowna, BC
		10	Dariel Djabome	Linebacker	Rutgers	Longueuil, QC
		11	Giordano Vaccaro	Offensive lineman	Purdue	Winnipeg, MB
		12	Malcolm Bell	Defensive back	Michigan State	Montreal, QC
		13	Darius Bell	Offensive lineman	East Carolina	Hamilton, ON
		14	Jez Janvier	Offensive lineman	Southern Mississippi	Montreal, QC
		15	Josh Baka	Defensive back	Alabama-Birmingham	Ottawa, ON
		16	Rohan Jones	Tight end	Arkansas	Montreal, QC
		17	Tyrell Lawrence	Offensive lineman	Alabama A&M	Milton, ON
		18	Darius McKenzie	Linebacker	South Alabama	Ottawa, ON
		19	Aamarii Notice	Defensive lineman	Coastal Carolina	Toronto, ON
		20	Trae Tomlinson	Defensive back	Louisiana	Winnipeg, MB

Trades

In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.

Round two

• Calgary → BC (PD). Calgary traded a second-round pick in this year's draft and the ninth overall pick and the 29th overall pick in the 2025 CFL draft to BC in exchange for Vernon Adams, a third-round pick in this year's draft, and the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 CFL draft. ^{[trade 1]}
• BC → Toronto (PD). BC traded a second-round pick in this year's draft and Ryder Varga to Toronto in exchange for Dejon Allen. ^{[trade 2]}

Round three

• BC → Calgary (PD). BC traded a third-round pick in this year's draft, Vernon Adams, and the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 CFL draft to Calgary in exchange for a second-round pick in this year's draft and the ninth overall pick and the 29th overall in the 2025 CFL draft. ^{[trade 1]}

Round seven

• Ottawa → Toronto (PD). Ottawa traded a seventh-round pick in this year's draft to Toronto in exchange for Mark Milton. ^{[trade 3]}

Conditional trades

• Ottawa → Toronto (PD). Ottawa traded a conditional sixth-round pick in this year's draft and the negotiation rights to Andre Carter to Toronto in exchange for Daniel Adeboboye. ^{[trade 4]}
• Toronto → Edmonton (PD). Toronto traded a conditional eighth-round pick in this year's draft to Edmonton in exchange for the negotiation rights to Spencer Brown. ^{[trade 5]}

References

Trade references

1. "Big Play: Stamps acquire Vernon Adams Jr. in trade with Lions". Canadian Football League. November 26, 2024.
2. "Lions acquire OL Dejon Allen in trade with Argonauts". Canadian Football League. January 6, 2025.
3. "Redblacks acquire DB Mark Milton from Toronto for '26 seventh round pick". Canadian Football League. August 25, 2025.
4. "Redblacks acquire National running back Daniel Adeboboye from Toronto". Ottawa Redblacks. January 14, 2025.
5. "Transaction: Elks acquire conditional draft pick in trade with the Argonauts". Edmonton Elks. August 5, 2025.

General references

1. "Canadian Football League expands draft to eight rounds". Canadian Football League. May 4, 2016.
2. "Details of the CFL's new CBA: salary cap increases, ratio changes, and guaranteed contracts". 3DownNation. May 26, 2022.
3. "Mesidor takes hold of top spot in fall edition of CFL Scouting Bureau". Canadian Football League. August 20, 2025.