TORONTO — The CFL Draft is a unique experience for everyone involved, but none more so than the players entering the league.
That’s because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to start your dream career playing the sport that you love.
The Canadian stars that dominate the league today like Tyson Philpot and Tyrell Ford have gone through this exact process, giving them a unique perspective on some of the players looking to follow into their footsteps.
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Not only they have a unique point of view, they also often times have shared the field with these players throughout they careers as football players in Canada.
“Keelan White from B.C.,” said Philpot quickly when asked about who caught his attention in the 2025 draft class. “We grew up playing football with and against him, and watched him doing his thing down there in Montana.
“I saw he just had his pro day and put some good numbers on there too. Definitely someone I’m excited to watch make his mark in the CFL and come join the Vancouver guys doing it.”
White is projected to go very high in the draft, with CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson pairing him with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with the second overall pick in his latest Mock Draft.
Philpot, who is just three years removed from being selected ninth overall by the Montreal Alouettes, also played football growing up with another British Columbia prospect that hopes to have his name called on April 29.
“My teammate growing up was Kinsale Philip from University of Toronto. I know he competed in the (Invitational) Combine too, so it’ll be another name for sure to watch out for there.”
Ford also went through the draft recently (2022) but has already established himself as one of the best at his position in the CFL. He’s now hoping another defensive back from Waterloo can enjoy a successful career of his own.
“Anesu Latmore from Waterloo,” said Ford in a conversation about draft prospects with CFL.ca. “I’ve been training with him for probably about two, three years now. It’s his time. Hopefully it all works out, and I’m excited for him.”
Ferguson has Latmore going to Ottawa with the 68th pick in the draft.
But it’s not only the Canadian player who can have a unique perspective about the draft. Veteran CFL quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell might not have gone through the CFL Draft himself, but has seen his fair share of draft classes take the field in his time with the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
More than that, Mitchell also worked closely with a couple of prospects about to start their professional journeys.
“Taylor Elgersma, the quarterback from Wilfrid Laurier,” mentioned Mitchell. “I threw with him in the off-season last year then he came to our training camp as well.”
Elgersma was part of the Canadian Football League QB Internship over the last three years, spending 2022 and 2023 with the Toronto Argonauts and 2024 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“(I am) excited for him,” added the Tabbies quarterback. “I think he has the talent to play anywhere and be a starter. He’s a guy that I think could benefit from a relationship with somebody like Scott (Milanovich) and Jason Maas, guys like that.
“And then his receiver, Ethan Jordan, I threw with him as well. He’s a worker, he’s got the speed, but it’s more the understanding and feel for the game. Excited for those two guys.”
Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris carries similar experience to Mitchell, and knows that sometimes all you need is the right gaze upon your play.
“(Elgersma), really cool story, going from here and then all of a sudden he gets a Senior Bowl invite, because the right eyes get on him,” said Harris. “That’s just a shoutout to all the Canadian kids, all the American kids, wherever it is, you never know when you’re building your own house.
“It just takes the right person to have the right eyes on you at the right moment. It only takes one. A lot of people are like, ‘this guy doesn’t like me, or this team doesn’t like me’. Forget that. You just need one.”
All the prospects waiting to hear their names called on April 29 just need one team to make the call to start the career they have always dreamed of.
