Stampeders choose Northern Illinois receiver Cole Tucker in CFL draft

The Calgary Stampeders went looking for some offensive help at the CFL draft Tuesday, using their first selection on Northern Illinois receiver Cole Tucker.

Tucker played 53 games over six seasons at Northern Illinois, catching 155 passes for 2, 030 yards and 10 touchdowns, including a career-high 45 catches for 632 yards and four TDs in 2022. Tucker is considered Canadian, through his mom. His dad Brett played defensive back for the Northern Illinois football team.

"We were very excited to get the wide receiver we got in the first round," said Stampeder CFL draft coordinator and defensive backs coach Dwayne Cameron.

"Obviously, he played against highlevel competition," Cameron said. "(He)  can do it all - he can catch intermediate routes, turn them into big plays, he can get over the top  and make big plays, he's very physical in terms of blocking and we're quite excited to get Cole."

The Stampeders didn't have a second-round pick, but in the third round, selected Calgarian defensive lineman Kwadko Boahen, with the 22nd overall pick.

Boahen, who attended Bishop McNally High School, before spending time at York and then transferring to the University of Alberta, had one sack and 21 tackles for the Golden Bears in seven games during the 2022 season.

"We're quite excited about Kwadko," Cameron said. "We were on pins and needles a little bit, seeing if the guys we were in were going to be there.

"Kwadko was…very dynamic with them, very versatile – he played defensive end for them even though his physique would suggest he's really an inside interior defensive tackle.

"He's got good quickness," Cameron added. "Good change of direction, he's a disruptive pass force at the college level and we anticipate that's going to translate at the CFL level for us as well."

The Stamps also selected receiver Clark Barnes out of Guelph in the third round, offensive lineman Alexandre Marcoux from McGill in the fourth, defensive lineman Ryan Leder from McMaster in the fifth, tight-end Sebastian Howard from Saint Mary's in the sixth, kicker/punter Campbell Fair (Ottawa) in the sixth, and fullback Lucas Robertson (UBC) in the eighth round.