US EditionCFL teams load up on punters, kickers in league’s 2026 global draft
Teams used 10 of 18 picks on punters and kickers, and six Australians were selected in the two-round global draft.
- Kicking specialists dominated the CFL's global draft on Wednesday, accounting for 10 of the 18 players selected across two rounds. Six of the first nine picks were either punters or kickers.
- Ottawa global director Brendan Taman noted that versatility drove the high demand, citing players who could handle punting, kicking, and kickoffs as highly valued multi-asset specialists.
- South African punter Aidan Laros went first overall to the Ottawa Redblacks, while Southern Illinois kicker Paul Geelen joined the team in the second round. Australian punter Nick Haberer went to Hamilton.
- Ottawa head coach and GM Ryan Dinwiddie said the team wanted "a future guy so we could always have someone in the pipeline." Laros signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, delaying his arrival.
- While specialists dominated, the Toronto Argonauts were the only team not to select a punter or kicker, opting instead for different positions. Six of the 18 drafted players hailed from Australia, emphasizing the international talent pool.
13 Articles
13 Articles
The Toronto Star
CFL teams load up on punters, kickers in league’s 2026 global draft
TORONTO - South African punter Aidan Laros was the first player taken Wednesday in the 2026 CFL global draft, which was once again dominated by kicking specialists.
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REDBLACKS add a pair of specialists in 2026 CFL Global Draft - Ottawa REDBLACKS
The Ottawa REDBLACKS selected a pair of specialists in Wednesday’s 2026 CFL Global Draft, including South African Aidan Laros from the University of Kentucky and Paul Geelen from the Netherlands and Southern Illinois University. Laros, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, signed with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky (2024-25), where he played 24 games ov…
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