Before the start of the 2020 NFL Draft, there were 11 Canadians who were members of an NFL team. Add six more to the list.
Wide receiver Chase Claypool and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore were both taken on day two. It was the most Canadians picked in one draft since four were taken in 2014, and Claypool's second-round selection was the second-highest for a Canadian since 2011, behind only N'Keal Harry who went in the first round last year.
Shortly after the draft concluded, four other Canadians joined NFL teams as undrafted free agents: offensive lineman Carter O'Donnell signed with the Colts, wide receiver Rysen John signed with the Giants, defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy signed with the Packers and defensive tackle Michael Hoecht signed with the Rams.
Here's an inside look at the players who have found new NFL homes.
Canadians selected in the 2020 NFL Draft
Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame: Pittsburgh Steelers, Round 2, Pick 49
Claypool was one of the hottest receiver prospects around in the buildup to the draft, and he was eventually taken in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Abbotsford, B.C., native had a stellar senior season at Notre Dame, breaking out with four touchdowns in the Fighting Irish's game against Navy and setting career highs in receptions (66), receiving yards (1,037) and touchdowns (13).
Listed at 6-4, 238 pounds, Claypool is a freakish athlete that showed what he could do at the NFL combine, running a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash along with 19 reps in the bench press and a 40 1/2-inch vertical jump. He has the ability to high-point the football and make contested catches in tight coverage. Scouts still think he needs to improve on his route-running and creating separation, but he has an incredibly high ceiling as an NFL receiver.
Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma: Dallas Cowboys, Round 3, Pick 82
Gallimore, hailing from Ottawa, was a standout in four years at the University of Oklahoma, racking up 148 tackles, nine sacks and four forced fumbles. In his senior year, the defensive tackle started every game and earned second-team All-Big 12 and third-team Associated Press All-American honors. He's just as fast as he is strong, running the 40-yard dash in just 4.79 seconds — the third-fastest time for a player over 300 pounds. He was also the top-ranked prospect for the CFL Draft, which was scheduled to take place next week.
Gallimore joins two other Canadians in Dallas: long snapper L.P Ladouceur and fellow defensive tackle Christian Covington. He's a relentless, powerful interior lineman with a strong work ethic, which bodes well for his NFL future.
Canadians signed as undrafted free agents
In addition to the two players who were drafted, four Canadians have signed as undrafted free agents.
Carter O'Donnell, OL, University of Alberta: Indianapolis Colts
Shortly after the draft officially ended on Saturday night, the Colts announced that they had signed O'Donnell as an undrafted free agent. Born in Red Deer, Alberta, O'Donnell spent four years playing U Sports at the University of Alberta. He came into the school as a talented multi-sport athlete, excelling as both a baseball pitcher and a wrestler alongside football. Now, he'll try to follow in the footsteps of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif — the last OL from a Canadian university to play in the NFL.
The 6-6, 315-pound tackle has the size and athleticism to stick on an NFL roster, whether that's in Indianapolis or elsewhere. Now that he's signed with a team, he'll have an opportunity to prove himself this offseason.
Rysen John, WR, Simon Fraser University: New York Giants
John was announced as an UDFA signing by the Giants on Saturday night. Standing at 6-7, the Vancouver native had been getting looks from NFL scouts after performing well with Simon Fraser at the U Sports level this year. He caught 53 passes for 861 yards and 10 touchdowns this year in his senior season at SFU.
Obviously, John's strength is in his size, and he'll pose a matchup threat for defensive backs every time he steps on the field. He'll now have to prove to NFL coaches that he has the speed, skill and durability to make an impact at the highest level.
Marc-Antoine Dequoy, DB, University of Montreal: Green Bay Packers
At 25 years old, Dequoy is pretty old for an NFL rookie, but he has the physical skillset to make an impact in the league. Hailing from Île-Bizard, Que., Dequoy posted an impressive 4.35-second 40-yard dash time and a 6.65-second time in the three-cone drill. Only one defensive back at the NFL Combine ran a faster 40-yard-dash than that (Utah's Javelin Guidry with a 4.29). To make it even more impressive, he did it at his pro day while suffering from the flu.
He played as everything from a nickel safety to a free safety during his college years, so he has the versatility to go along with his athleticism. However, considering he went four years without playing a snap in his early university days, plus the fact that he's been playing three-down, 12-player Canadian football for most of his life, he's still a very raw prospect.
Michael Hoecht, DT, Brown University: Los Angeles Rams
Born in Oakville, Ont., Hoecht moved to Ohio before choosing to attend Brown University. He went on to captain the team in both of his final two years, playing 37 games in his four-year college career. He posted an absolutely blazing 40-yard-dash time of 4.65 seconds during his virtual pro day, leading the Rams to take a punt on him as an UDFA prospect.
Ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect in the CFL's final draft rankings, Hoecht is a disruptive defensive tackle that made a career-high 69 tackles in 2018 and was named to the second-team All-Ivy League team this past season. He'll now get the chance to fight for a spot alongside Aaron Donald and Co. on the Rams' defensive front.