The NFL Draft is set to take center stage, so to speak, beginning on Thursday.
Some of the top names in college football will hear their names called, including two Canadians — Notre Dame's Chase Claypool and Oklahoma's Neville Gallimore — who should go in one of the first three rounds. But they're not the only Canadians who could be taking their talents south of the border.
Here's a quick look at some of the Canadians who could start a new chapter of their football careers in the NFL.
Top five Canadians expected to be drafted
Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
The Abbotsford, B.C., native was a force to be reckoned with for the Fighting Irish: He showcased speed, a big-time downfield burst and the ability to physically dominate defenders. He put on a show on Nov. 16 with a four-touchdown performance in a 52-20 win over Navy.
A 6-4, 238-pound receiver who could also play tight end, he raised a few eyebrows at the NFL Combine when he ran a 4.42 on his second 40-yard dash along with 19 reps in the bench press and a 40 1/2-inch vertical jump. He had 13 touchdown receptions on 66 receptions for 1,037 yards in 2019.
Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma
At 6-2, 304 pounds, this Ottawa native packs a relentless, powerful punch for his size. He started every game during his senior season at Oklahoma, posting 30 tackles, four sacks, 7 1/2 tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles. An second-team All-Big 12 selection, he ran the second-fastest 40 time (4.79) by a 300-pound participant in the last 21 years (4.79).
"I couldn’t even tell you how that would feel if I was to get drafted in the first round," he told TSN Radio 1200 Ottawa in March. "That would be the biggest deal, not only for me, but obviously for my family, and even for the city at large. I feel like it’s been a very long time that Ottawa’s really got the recognition it deserves for the type of athletes or players it’s producing. I feel like I have an opportunity to change that narrative."
Gallimore was also named the top-ranked prospect by the Canadian Football League's Scouting Bureau for the 2020 CFL Draft scheduled to take place on April 30.
JJ Molson, K, UCLA
While he had a disappointing senior season — he went of 8 of 14 on field goal attempts for a career-low 57.1 percentage — the UCLA kicker recorded touchbacks on 53 of his 61 kickoffs. His season-long was on a 49-yard field goal against Stanford. He missed only one point-after attempt in his four-year career, going 151 of 152.
Fun fact about the Montreal native: He's a direct descendant of the founder of Molson brewery, John Molson, and his father is the first cousin of Montreal Canadiens owner, Geoff Molson.
Nathan Rourke, QB, Ohio
The last NFL quarterback to hail from Canada was Ontario's Jesse Palmer, who played five years in the NFL, from 2001-05, before playing a single season with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes. ago. Rourke, who hails from Oakville, Ont., may be the next man up. In his senior year at Ohio, he completed 200 of 328 passes for 2,820 yards and 20 touchdowns to five interceptions. A dual-threat, he also ran for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns; he ran for 21 touchdowns in 2017.
“My biggest strength as a player, and what makes me ready for the pros, is going to sound clichéd — but I love football," he recently told Postmedia's John Kryk. "And I’ve dreamed about playing professional football for my entire life, and I’ve treated it as such. ... There’s nothing else I want to do with my life other than play football.”
Rourke threw for 144 yards and rushed for 87 more (and a touchdown) in the Bobcats' Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win over Nevada.
"(Rourke) was the best playmaker on the field," Nevada play-by-play man John Ramey told DAZN News. "Took some big hits and hung in — he's tough and a leader."
Carter O'Donnell, OL, Alberta
While his pro day may have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Deer, Alta., native has already shown why his name should be called over the next few days. One of two U SPORTS players invited to participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl in Florida in January, the 6-6, 315-pound lineman started — and played most of — the game that is noramlly dominated by NCAA talent.
A 2019 first-team All-Canadian, he is third on the CFL Scouting Bureau's final rankings behind Gallimore and Claypool.
“Carter is a special athlete that has all the tools a team looks for: He’s a big, athletic body that moves well. He’s an overwhelmingly physical player,” Mark Korte — Ottawa Redblacks lineman and former teammate — told the Toronto Sun. “Off the field, he’s a smart guy that can handle the playbook and fits in well with a group of O-linemen. Carter isn’t the type to get wrapped up in everything surrounding football, he’s an all-business type of guy that really does love the game."