2021 College Draft Results

May I admit that I'm not really into this one?

Between the likelihood that there will be a ridiculously short season and the fact that many of the players to be chosen tonight will have a year of eligibility left and therefore return to their respective schools, I find it hard to get excited for this player selection process. It's no one's fault, but tonight's event takes "drafting for the future" to an extreme. 

Be that as it may, I'll record the selections and whatever scouting and/or background info I happen to come across for each guy "live", as usual. There are a couple of local guys, most notably Liam Dobson (Maine) and Patrice Rene (North Carolina / Rutgers) so hopefully we get a pleasant surprise on that level. 


1. (06) - Deshawn Stevens, Linebacker, Maine, 6'2" / 255
Scouting Bureau Ranking: January - 14th, April - 20th

Deshawn Stevens of the University of Maine is pictured warming up for a game earlier this spring at Alfond Stadium in Orono. Credit: Ronnie Gillis

Career defensive stats at Maine

Ottawa Sun: “He’s a physical player who moves very well for his size; he may have to slim down a bit for purposes of the CFL,” said Redblacks general manager Marcel Desjardins. “He’s got a great personality. We really like everything he brings to the table. He’ll become a defensive stalwart for us at some point in the future.

At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, Stevens is capable of playing middle linebacker, maybe weakside linebacker, in the CFL. He could come off the edge in certain defensive schemes.

“We really felt he was one of the top defensive players in the draft and somebody who could play a number of spots for us,” said Redblacks head coach Paul LaPolice. “We’re ecstatic to get him.”


2. (13) - DB Alonzo Addae, West Virginia, 5'10" / 190

 Scouting Bureau Rankings: January - 12th, April - 14th

(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

“He’s a very versatile DB; he offers so much versatility and flexibility and he’s such an intelligent football player,” said Desjardins.


3. (24) - OL Connor Berglof, Saskatchewan. 6'03" / 305

Was named a USports All-Canadian in 2019.

Desjardins: “He’s big and physical, one of those typical Saskatchewan guys. We actually had him as an earlier pick. The back issue may have scared off some people. But we felt it was worth the risk. He played with a back issue in 2019. It’s flared up again a bit. If we had to go to camp tomorrow, he wouldn’t be ready to go. But, at the same time, we felt he was worth drafting in the third round. With all the homework we did, with his doctor, with getting access to his medical information and having our medical staff look at it, it certainly looks like he’s trending in the right direction.”

4. (31) - PK / P Jake Julien, Eastern Michigan 

Eastern Michigan Press Release: A four-year starter for the Green and White, Julien has built his special teams resume into one of the best in school history. He is tied with Rich Hanschu (1979-80) for first in the EMU record books with a 43.4 career punting average, and ranks eighth in EMU history with 7,383 yards punting. Julien is the only punter in Eastern Michigan history to record two 70+ yard punts in his career. Through four seasons, he has 51 balls downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line to go along with 37 that traveled longer than 50 yards.

Desjardins: “He’s got a big leg, his hang time is very good. He’s a guy we feel can punt in this league. Could he do more than that? That’s to be determined, but that’s not why we drafted him – we took him as a punter. He’s going back to school, maybe he gets into an NFL situation. I don’t know when we’ll see him, but for us, it’s a good get in the fourth round.”


5. (42) - LS Keegan Markgraf, Utah, 6'03" / 222

Team Press Release: In 2020, Markgraf was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, awarded to the best college football long snapper in the nation. He was also on the Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention for the 2020 season. In 33 career games played with Utah, Markgraf recorded 160 career snaps (65 punt, 23 FG, 72 PAT).

Desjardins: “As much as everybody has a long snapper, it’s not easy to find a good one. They can’t all be precise, consistent and have some ability to block and cover. Right now, we have a very good long snapper (Louis-Philippe Bourassa), but if something ever happened to him, we don’t have a lot of depth.”

6. (49) - OL Matthew Derks, Delaware State, 6'03" / 315

Desjardins: “He’s a big, wide-bodied, physical interior offensive lineman. I think he needs to get a little smaller for purposes of the CFL and his movement skills will need to improve. But he’s strong, he’s physical, he’s smart. He’s a guy we liked. He’s going to go back and play another year so we felt he was worth taking there and see how he continues to develop.”