CALGARY STAMPEDERS SELECT WIDE RECEIVER DAMIEN ALFORD FIRST OVERALL IN 2025 CFL DRAFT
LB Devin Veresuk goes second to Hamilton; Ottawa takes WR Keelan White at No. 3
TORONTO (April 29, 2025) – With the first overall selection in the 2025 Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft, the Calgary Stampeders have selected WR Damien Alford out of the University of Utah.
Exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-8 can be seen on TSN+.
Up-to-date results are available via the CFL Draft Tracker.
Additional information surrounding the Class of 2025 can be found in the CFL Draft Guide (available for download below).
2025 CFL Draft – FIRST ROUND
(Team | POS | Name | School | Hometown)
- Calgary | WR | Damien Alford | Utah | Montreal
- Hamilton | LB | Devin Veresuk | Windsor | Windsor, Ont.
- Ottawa | WR | Keelan White | Montana | North Vancouver, B.C.
- Saskatchewan | DL | Ali Saad | Bowling Green | Windsor, Ont.
- Montreal | OL | Tiger Shanks | UNLV | Henderson, Nev.
- Winnipeg | LB | Connor Shay | Wyoming | Danville, Calif.
- Toronto | DL | Jeremiah Ojo | Montreal | Lachine, Que.
- Calgary | OL | Christopher Fortin | Connecticut | St-René, Que.
Note:
- BC forfeited its first-round selection due to the amount by which it exceeded the 2024 Salary Expenditure Cap.
- Edmonton forfeited its first-round selection after claiming receiver Zach Mathis in the 2024 Supplemental Draft.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Position breakdown
- Two wide receivers
- Two linebackers
- Two defensive linemen
- Two offensive linemen
NEED TO KNOW
- Damien Alford is the sixth-ever wide receiver to be selected No. 1 overall, and the first since Mark Chapman in 2018.
- Devin Veresuk makes it back-to-back CFL Drafts with a Windsor Lancer selected in the first round
- Two wide receivers were drafted in the Top-3 selections for the first time since 1991.
- Tiger Shanks is the first-ever UNLV Rebel to be selected in the first round.
- The last time Winnipeg selected a linebacker in the first round was in 2011 with Henoc Muamba.
- Jeremiah Ojo becomes the fifth Montreal Carabin to be selected in the first round.
- Calgary selected an offensive lineman eighth overall for the second consecutive year (Christy Nkanu in 2024).
2025 CFL Draft Guide.pdf
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Lucas Barrett
Associate Vice-President, Communications & Public Affairs, Canadian Football League