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Scouting Report: Breaking down Alouettes’ 2023 CFL Draft class

On Tuesday, the Alouettes made eight selections during the 2023 CFL Draft. Some of those players will attend this month’s training camp, while others will be attempting to make the leap to the NFL.

Will every player in this draft class end up working out in Montreal? Probably not, but if the last few drafts are any indication, expect a few of these players to make a major impact on the field.

In order to better understand who these prospects are as players and as people, we asked members of the front office who scouted them to break down what they saw on tape and in interviews.

Here’s what they had to say:

Jonathan Sutherland – LB – Penn State – 1st round pick, 5th overall:

The first thing you need to know about Sutherland is that he signed with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. According to Alouettes director of national scouting P.Y. Lavergne, the organization is comfortable with that risk.

“Right now, he’s under contract with Seattle,” Lavergne said in the moments following the draft. “According to our information, he received a signing bonus, but we don’t think it’s a significant amount. Based on our experience and our contacts, it’s not something that would prevent him from coming to the CFL. We had discussions with Jonathan during the process and he’s a player that is dedicated to football. He wouldn’t hesitate to come to the CFL if ever he gets cut from the NFL. At five, we went with the best player on our board. If we have to wait for him, we’re confident that he’s willing to come to Montreal. We thought it was a gamble worth taking.”

As a player, the Als were attracted to what he could do at multiple positions on defence and on special teams.

“He’s an aggressive defensive player and he’s a player that is very versatile,” added Lavergne. “He’ll give our defensive coaching staff a lot of options. You can use him in many different ways, both in coverage and in stopping the run.”

It’s not a coincidence that Sutherland wore number ‘0’ for Penn State, either. That jersey number is significant to that program.

“At Penn State, wearing number ‘0’ is an honour thing,” said special teams coordinator, assistant head coach and director of player personnel Byron Archambault. “It’s not a gift, but it’s a mark of recognition by their staff and their head coach. There’s a lot of pride that comes with wearing number ‘0’. (Sutherland) described it for us perfectly. He represents every core value of that program, number ‘0’. He contributes on all four phases (on special teams). He’s a captain that embodies what the school is on and off the field. That’s the type of character we want in our building.”

Lwal Uguak – DL – TCU – 1st round, 7th overall:

Like Sutherland, Uguak has garnered some NFL interest. In the defensive lineman’s case, he has been invited to the New York Giants’ mini camp. At this point, it’s simply a tryout, which means the Giants haven’t given him a contract. That could change, but again, it’s a risk GM Danny Maciocia was willing to take.

“Lwal is a versatile defensive lineman that can play defensive end or defensive tackle,” Lavergne explained. “He did that for two major football programs in the United States with Connecticut and Texas Christian. Like Sutherland, he’s going to bring a lot of versatility that will allow a defensive coordinator to use him along the defensive line. We think he’s someone that’s going to be able to contribute on defensive fairly quickly by being part of our rotation in order to give our starting defensive ends a breather.”

During the live Alouettes Draft show, Uguak said his favourite defensive linemen growing up were Cam Jordan and Jason Pierre-Paul.

David Dallaire – FB/TE – Laval – 2nd round, 13th overall:

Head coach Jason Maas’ offence will use fullbacks and tight ends, so it’s only natural that the Alouettes wanted the Rouge et Or product when he was available early in the second round.

“Dallaire is just a hybrid player,” said senior director of football operations Eric Deslauriers. “Last year, he played on all special teams, he was a short-yardage quarterback, he held for the snapper, and beyond that he’s just an offensive threat. He’s a very vicious blocker. I think he’s going to be a very versatile blocker in the league for a long time. He’s a hybrid player that you don’t come across very often. That’s the main reason we picked him, but his size and his tenacity obviously helps.”

In terms of a pro comparable for Dallaire, Deslauriers mentions that he could see him developing into a fullback/tight end in the same mould as former Alouette J.C. Beaulieu.

Theo Grant – OL – Queen’s – 4th round, 32nd overall: 

The Als added all-star center Justin Lawrence in free agency and they traded for former second overall pick Jesse Gibbon this winter, so offensive line wasn’t necessarily a position of need heading into this draft. They ended up taking just one o-lineman, and that was Grant.

“Theo Grant is a player that has unlimited potential,” Deslauriers said. “He’s a player that has played the position of offensive tackle for a couple of years, but he has cat-like feet, he’s cat-quick, he moves well, he’s a fierce player that likes to finish people. He has unlimited potential. He needs to gain a little bit of weight, and he could be an offensive tackle for years to come. He’s extremely smart and he sees things coming way before the play happens. He has unlimited potential.

Deslauriers also mentioned that he sees a lot of Ryan Bomben in Grant.

“I’m not sure how that’s going to translate, because I’m comparing him to a very good players, but Theo Grant moves a lot like him. He has played all kinds of positions.”

Jacob Mason – FB – McMaster – 5th round, 39th overall:

After Dallaire in the second round, the Als selected a second fullback in round 5. Although they’re technically listed at the same position, their style of play is quite different.

“Wherever these two guys were getting drafted, they would have competed from day one,” Archambault said of Dallaire and Mason. “Dallaire can bring more of a receiving background, more of a tight end-type guy. He’s a guy who played on special teams also as a holder, long-snapper, played on kickoff, made a lot of tackles and flew around the field. He’s a guy that is well-liked by a very good special teams coach at Laval in Mathieu Bertrand. Obviously, he’s been coached up really well. They’re two guys that bring different things to the table. We have a head coach that likes to use fullbacks and tight ends offensively. They are two guys that can fit offensively in a scheme and on special teams, as well. I’m happy we got both of them.

“I love Jacob Mason’s physicality and what he brings to the game. He plays the game the right way. He’s the kind of guy that brings his lunch pail to work every day and he’s a blue-collar guy. He fits who we are. He played a lot on special teams. He’s a mauler, he was a dominant fullback as a blocker, too. When he latches on to opponents, it’s hard to get his claws off you.”

Shedler Fervius – WR – Saint Mary’s – 5th round, 41st overall:

Fervius didn’t play at Saint Mary’s last season because he was academically ineligible, but that didn’t prevent the Alouettes from taking a chance on him with their second selection in the fifth round.

It looks like the Als will be starting two Canadian receivers again in Kaion Julien-Grant and Tyson Philpot, so they need a quality backup for those two guys, and that’s what Fervius should bring to the table in his rookie year.

“He has a high ceiling athletically,” Lavergne said.

“What he showed on tape is that he’s a receiver that is extremely aggressive and physical. He’s someone that is willing to block with maximum effort. He never takes a play off. On top of his ability as a receiver, we think he can help us on special teams.”

Chase Brown – RB – Illinois – 7th round, 59th overall:

Let’s get one thing straight, Brown is not a 7th round talent. On pure talent and potential, he could have easily been the first overall pick in 2023. The reason he slipped to round seven is because he was drafted in the 5th round of the NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

“Chase Brown is a very explosive player,” said Alouettes director of pro personnel Jean-Marc Edme. “He has good run skills and vision. His cut-back ability is very good. I think he’s one of those guys that if he falls to our league, I really think he could help us out and be a ratio-breaker. He has to work on his pass-protection, but his ability to catch the ball and run the football can be a big asset for us. We’re really excited to potentially have him in the future. If you look at him overall, he’s a very good pick for the Alouettes.”

Brown may never come to Canada, but a 7th round pick isn’t a crazy price to pay for that kind of risk.

Maxym Lavallee – DB – Laval – 8th round, 68th overall:

8th round picks are often overlooked by fans, but the Alouettes have had success picking quality players in the final round. Last year, they picked safety Zach Lindley out of Western, who finished second on the Als in special teams tackles last year. They also landed defensive end Brock Gowanlock in the 8th round in 2021. He became a key performer on special teams, too, in 2022.

Could Lavallee stick around in a similar role?

“Lavallee is one of those guys that when you press ‘play’ on the film, he’s all over the field,” Edme said. “He makes a lot of plays, he makes a lot of tackles. He has a lot of Etienne Boulay in him. Boulay was a bit faster and taller, but the thing Lavallee has is his passion for the game. I think he can bring that to us and we’re really excited to have him. He’s a guy that is well-respected in his conference and he was very productive. We were lucky to get him in the eighth round.”

If he doesn’t make the team this year, he could return to Laval for one for season.