The Edmonton Elks had to wait a while before they were able to make their first selection of the 2025 CFL Draft on Tuesday.
The Elks did not have a first-round pick after former head coach and general manager Chris Jones forfeited the selection during last season’s supplemental draft to take receiver Zach Mathis.
So, current GM Ed Hervey had to wait until the second round to make his first pick at 10th overall.
With the selection, the Elks drafted six-foot-three, 309-pound defensive lineman Darien Newell of the Queen’s Golden Gaels.
Newell recorded 92 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, and 18 sacks in 37 career games and was named an All-Canadian three times.
Hervey says he has had eyes on Newell for a long time. The player was projected to be a first-round pick.
“We feel like the last three years he’s been arguably the best player at the USports level,” Hervey said. “For him to fall where he did was great, but there is more to the story of him — dropping that will be coming (likely sometime on Wednesday).
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“For us, we felt comfortable with everything and all the information we had going into this. So we feel very confident with Darien and we feel like we are getting an excellent player.”
The Elks had two picks in the third round and they selected two running backs from the UBC Thunderbirds in fullback Skyler Griffith and running back Isaiah Knight.
Knight was the third-leading rusher in all of USports in 2024 with 914 yards. He recorded 3,603 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in his time with the T-Birds and was named an All-Canadian three times.
Griffith is a versatile back who lined in multiple positions on offence, including tight end. He recorded 25 special teams tackles in 12 games with UBC. The second team All-Canadian won’t be available to the Elks until the 2026 season after tearing his ACL, MCL and meniscus.
The Elks went back to Queen’s in the fourth round, selecting another towering defensive lineman in six-foot-five, 265-pound Silas Hubert.
The Elks would address their offensive line with their next two picks selecting Domenico Piazza from McGill in the fifth round and Daniel Hocevar from Guelph.
The Elks would stay home with their final selection of the draft by picking U of A Golden Bears receiver Kolby Hurford in the seventh round. Hurford is from Redwater, Alta., and is a speedy receiver at five-foot-11 and 193 pounds. He is reunited with former Bears head coach Chris Morris, who is now the Elks’ president and CEO.
Rookie camps will begin on May 7 with main camp starting on May 11.
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