CFL Draft Stock Assessment: Receivers and defensive backs

[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]

Marshall Ferguson CFL.ca @TSN_Marsh In our third and final instalment of CFL Draft Stock Assessment in 2025, it’s time to look at my favourite positional groups to study, receivers and the men who get paid to lock them down. Defensive backs have become an increasingly potent group of players over the last decade or so based on my studying of body types and testing scores. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why ball hawks are getting consistently taken earlier in the draft, a trend I don’t think will change in this draft as the receivers do their best to stay level with their brash, trash talking foes. 2025 CFL Draft » Mock Draft 1.0: Who will Calgary take first overall? » A look at the last 10 first overall CFL Draft picks » CFL Draft Stock Assessment: Running backs and linebackers » Where 9 of the CFL’s top Canadians were drafted » Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates RECEIVERS HAKEEM HARRIS DAVENPORT STOCK: UP ⬆ Hakeem Harris brought his impressive physique and strong hands from the Invitational Combine to the National showcase and never skipped a beat. He’s not Kevens Clercius from last year or Clark Barnes from two years ago (yet) but he has that kind of outlook and will be enticing early in the draft. ETHAN JORDAN LAURIER STOCK: UP ⬆ At just over five-foot-10 and a slight 177-pounds, Ethan Jordan needed to run fast and display route understanding at the CFL Combine. He did just that and his production at Wilfrid Laurier was elite. Pair it all together less than a month from the draft and plenty of teams should be having the discussion about what to do with Jordan as a CFLer. A good problem to have as a prospect. BRAYDEN MISSERI WESTERN STOCK: DOWN ⬇ I like Brayden Misseri’s game and energy, but the testing element in a combine setting wasn’t his strength and it likely hampered his initial interest. As more teams go back to film I know he’ll ‘play’ himself back into the draft conversation but the testing numbers are what they are. HASSANE DOSSO MONTREAL STOCK: DOWN ⬇ Originally a Global player heading to the CFL Combine in Regina, Hassane Dosso was approved as a National just before the festivities got underway and I loved his build and background. Unfortunately, like Misseri, the numbers were a bit lesser than compared to where I hoped he would land. KASEEM FERDINAND CARLETON STOCK: STABLE Kaseem Ferdinand is steady, smart and reliable. Unfortunately, his five-foot-10, 176-pound frame isn’t going to change much, which might create some natural limitations teams can’t get past but the game is solid. If he were somewhere closer to six-foot-two, 200 pounds, he would likely project closer to Harris’ draft stock as a second or third round pick. SAMUEL DAVENPORT UBC STOCK: SLEEPER The testing numbers weren’t great, but I see a ton of developmental potential in Samuel Davenport. He might never beat a CFL defensive back one-on-one in coverage, but could build a career out of being the smartest guy on the field against zone. DANIEL WIEBE SASKATCHEWAN STOCK: MYSTERY In the seventh percentile for combine receivers all-time in height, Daniel Wiebe is – like Jordan and Ferdinand above – up against a metric he can’t change, but there’s no doubting his heart and ability to grind past it. Where does he go, how does he fit, which team can get past the size and see the skill and heart? That’s the mystery. DEFENSIVE BACKS ERIC CUMBERBATCH OTTAWA STOCK: UP ⬆ At six-foot-two and a bit, over 200-pounds and with nearly 32-inch long arms, Eric Cumberbatch was already an impressive physical specimen. Then he started testing and lit up the combine with all those attributes. The best part? I heard he asked them to move the top end of the broad jump from 10’ to 11’ then still out jumped it. Legendary stuff at that size. ANTON HAIE LAVAL STOCK: UP ⬆ For all the noise made about Cumberbatch, Anton Haie actually had a better combine score! His first 10 yards in the 40-yard dash, alongside his short shuttle and three-cone numbers were all elite and I’m not sure there’s a better triple test combo to ace as a defensive back with prototypical size. JOHARI HASTINGS LAURIER STOCK: DOWN ⬇ Testing simply didn’t go the way of Johari Hastings. It factored into the on-field product in Regina as well, and he faces an uphill battle in an extremely athletic and talented defensive back class, which it feels like I’m now saying every year. ROMEO NASH ALBERTA STOCK: DOWN ⬇ Romeo Nash has natural skill and good range, but he had the lowest average of test percentile besides Hastings and has to prove he can outplay his measurables in order to make a roster this year. JACKSON FINDLAY WESTERN STOCK: STABLE Everyone knew he was great coming in and Jackson Findlay just confirmed it in every hurdle presented to him. I wonder how teams tried to crack him open in interviews, but I’m sure he answered that challenge spectacularly as well. MALIEK COTE-AZORE LAURIER STOCK: SLEEPER From the Invitational to the National, Maliek Cote-Azore displayed the athleticism, playmaking ability and natural feel for the game that can often lead to making a roster as a mid or late round defensive back. JOHARI HASTINGS LAURIER STOCK: MYSTERY That’s right, he was listed twice. I’m not ready to count out Hastings based on the testing. There is more meat on the bone here and I hope someone finds a way to unlock it. Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.