TORONTO — Which round a player was drafted does not always correlate to how good they turn out to be.
There are plenty of examples of players selected high, who for one reason or another, didn’t achieve the expectations set out for them.
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There are also a lot of cases of players selected later in the CFL Draft that became All-CFL calibre stars.
CFL.ca put together a list of five players who have outplayed their draft slot. The rules are simple, it must be a player that impacted the league one way or another while being selected in the third round or later. Here’s the list:
BEN HLADIK | LB | BC LIONS | 2021
LB Ben Hladik played his college career at UBC before being selected by BC (BCLions.com)
Ben Hladik is one of the most respected linebackers in the CFL, but he had to earn his reputation after being drafted in the third round by the BC Lions in 2021.
The Lions brought the UBC prospect home and he answered with 223 tackles, 10 sacks, four interceptions and two forced fumbles in 53 games with the Orange and Black.
KIAN SCHAFFER-BAKER | REC | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS | 2020
One of the reasons why the Riders have such a talented receiver group is the presence of Kian Schaffer-Baker. The National receiver had to wait all the way to the fourth round of the 2020 CFL Draft to get drafted and more than outplayed his slot.
Schaffer-Baker caught 205 passes for 2,688 yards and 14 touchdowns over four seasons with the Green and White, numbers that could be even higher if not for injuries that cost him some playing time.
STAVROS KATSANTONIS | DB | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS | 2020
Stavros Katsantonis is yet another player that was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 CFL Draft and remains a productive player for the team that believed in him.
The defensive back has 131 tackles and six interceptions in 55 games for the Black and Gold. Katsantonis was also the 14th highest ranked player in coverage in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus, allowing only 57.7 per cent of the passes thrown his way to be completed.
KURLEIGH GITTENS JR. | REC | TORONTO ARGONAUTS | 2019
Kurleigh Gittens Jr. was selected in the third round of the 2019 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts and developed into a core player for the team.
Gittens Jr. appeared in 48 games with the Argos, catching 167 passes for 2,232 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Double Blue. The receiver was then traded to the Edmonton Elks prior to the 2024 season, where he also immediately made an impact by catching 85 passes for 847 yards and five majors.
JESHRUN ANTWI | RB | MONTREAL ALOUETTES | 2019
Jeshrun Antwi was a sixth round pick in 2019 by the Alouettes that provided a good backfield option for Montreal.
The running back spent four seasons with the Als, rushing 200 times for 1,098 yards and a major, adding 342 more yards as a pass-catcher. Antwi was traded in the off-season to the BC Lions to provide another backfield weapon for Buck Pierce’s squad.