{
    "title": "REDBLACKS TAKE VACCARO FIRST OVERALL IN 2026 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT",
    "modified_at": "2026-04-28 21:15:04",
    "published_at": "2026-04-28 21:35:00",
    "url": "https://press.cfl.ca/redblacks-take-vaccaro-first-overall-in-2026-cfl-canadian-draft",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/ZTDd",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "Toronto drafts OL Henning second; Edmonton selects LB Djabome third",
    "slug": "redblacks-take-vaccaro-first-overall-in-2026-cfl-canadian-draft",
    "body": "\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/85e55f56-73bb-40da-916f-565f548743b3/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                                    srcset=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/85e55f56-73bb-40da-916f-565f548743b3/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/ 1x, https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/85e55f56-73bb-40da-916f-565f548743b3/-/resize/2400x/-/format/auto/ 2x\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"\"\n                id=\"image-85e55f56-73bb-40da-916f-565f548743b3\"\n                data-id=\"85e55f56-73bb-40da-916f-565f548743b3\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/85e55f56-73bb-40da-916f-565f548743b3/-/inline/no/Draft+cover+-+v1.jpg\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/85e55f56-73bb-40da-916f-565f548743b3/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"Story image\"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\"></figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<p><strong>TORONTO (April 28, 2026)</strong> &ndash; With the first overall selection in the 2026 Canadian Football League (CFL) Canadian Draft, the Ottawa REDBLACKS have selected Winnipeg native Giordano Vaccaro, an offensive lineman from Purdue University.</p><p>Exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-8 can be seen on <a href=\"https://www.tsn.ca/tsnplus\">TSN+</a>. </p><p>Up-to-date results are available via the <a href=\"https://www.cfl.ca/2026-global-draft-tracker/\">CFL Draft Tracker</a>.</p><p>Additional information surrounding the Class of 2026 can be found in the CFL Draft Guide (available for download below).</p><p><strong>2026 CFL DRAFT &ndash; FIRST ROUND</strong><br>\u200b(Team | POS | Name | School | Hometown)</p><ol class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--numbered release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span>Ottawa | OL | Giordano Vaccaro | Purdue | Winnipeg</span></li><li><span>Toronto | OL | Niklas Henning | Queen&rsquo;s | Milton, Ont.</span></li><li><span>Edmonton | LB | Dariel Djabome | Rutgers | Longueuil, Que.</span></li><li><span>Winnipeg | DL | Nuer Gatkuoth | Wake Forest | Edmonton</span></li><li><span>Hamilton | OL | Jonathan Denis | Louisiana Tech | Homestead, Fla.</span></li><li><span>Calgary | LB | Eric Rascoe | Angelo State | San Antonio, Texas</span></li><li><span>BC | WR | Nathan DeMontagnac | North Dakota | Mississauga, Ont.</span></li><li><span>Montreal | Rohan Jones | TE | Arkansas | Montreal</span></li><li><span>Saskatchewan | DB | Malcolm Bell | Michigan State | Montreal</span></li></ol><p><strong>BY THE NUMBERS</strong></p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span>Position breakdown</span><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span>Three offensive linemen</span></li><li><span>Two linebackers</span></li><li><span>One defensive lineman</span></li><li><span>One wide receiver</span></li><li><span>One tight end</span></li><li><span>One defensive back</span></li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>NEED TO KNOW</strong></p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span>Vaccaro is the fourth offensive lineman to go first overall in the past 11 Drafts. The most recent was in 2023, when Dontae Bull was also selected by Ottawa. </span></li><li><span>Henning is the highest prospect to be selected out of Queen&rsquo;s since Shomari Williams was drafted 1<sup>st</sup> overall by Saskatchewan in 2010.</span></li><li><span>Djabome is the second-ever prospect drafted out of Rutgers, joining DB Jason Nugent (2006).</span></li><li><span>Gatkuoth is the fifth-ever prospect to be drafted from Wake Forest and he is the first since Toronto took Mark Moroz in 2004</span></li><li><span>In CFL Canadian Draft history, only two players from Louisiana Tech have been selected, with both coming in the first round &ndash; Jonathan Denis this year and Samuel Emilus in 2022.</span></li><li><span>Rascoe is the first linebacker taken by Calgary in the first round in 2021 &ndash; Amen Ogbongbemiga</span></li><li><span>DeMontagnac becomes the first wide receiver to be drafted by BC in the first round since Danny Vandervoort in 2017.</span></li><li><span>Jones is the first-ever prospect selected out of the University of Arkansas</span></li><li><span>Bell is the second-ever first-rounder to be selected out of Michigan State, joining Mike Gyetvai in 2007 (Calgary)</span></li></ul><a href='https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/fabc125b-1671-48cc-9ba5-ba26f14529e4/-/inline/no/2026-cfl-draft-guide.pdf' class='release-content-attachment' id='attachment-fabc125b-1671-48cc-9ba5-ba26f14529e4' data-type='attachment' data-track='Story File Download' data-placement='content' data-id='fabc125b-1671-48cc-9ba5-ba26f14529e4'>\n    <span class='release-content-attachment__icon'>\n        <svg class=\"icon icon-download\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-download\"></use>\n            </svg>\n    </span>\n    <span class='release-content-attachment__details'>\n        <strong class='release-content-attachment__title'>2026 CFL Draft Guide</strong>\n        <em class='release-content-attachment__subtitle'>2026 CFL Draft Guide.pdf - 536 KB</em>\n    </span>\n</a><div class=\"release-content-contact\" id=\"contact-675cb74f-8332-4455-bd48-95568aba7186\">\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-contact__details\">\n        <strong class=\"release-content-contact__name\">Lucas Barrett</strong>\n        <em class=\"release-content-contact__description\">Associate Vice-President, Communications &amp; Public Affairs, Canadian Football League</em>\n        <ul class=\"release-content-contact__details-list\"><li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"mailto:lbarrett@cfl.ca\"  class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"lbarrett@cfl.ca\"><svg class=\"icon icon-paper-plane release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-paper-plane\"></use>\n            </svg>lbarrett@cfl.ca</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"tel:416.802.7852\"  class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"416.802.7852\"><svg class=\"icon icon-phone release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-phone\"></use>\n            </svg>416.802.7852</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"https://twitter.com/LucasBarrett9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"@LucasBarrett9\"><svg class=\"icon icon-twitter release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-twitter\"></use>\n            </svg>@LucasBarrett9</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"http://www.cfl.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"cfl.ca\"><svg class=\"icon icon-browser release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-browser\"></use>\n            </svg>cfl.ca</a></li></ul>\n    </div>\n</div>",
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