Elks make 10 selections on CFL draft night, focus on versatility

Edmonton Elks head coach and general manager Chris Jones had 10 selections in the 2022 CFL Draft which began Tuesday evening.

Their first pick came at fourth overall of the first round and the Elks selected Coastal Carolina defensive back-linebacker Enock Makonzo. In 27 games, Makonzo recorded 151 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In the 2021 season, Makonzo recorded 71 total tackles and three forced fumbles in 13 games, earning a 2021 All-Sun Belt honourable mention.

Jones says Makonzo offers the versatility he’s looking for in a defensive player.

“He can play safety, he can play SAM linebacker, and he can play WILL linebacker,” Jones said. “He can play on three or four special teams so he should be an extremely productive football player for us.”

Four picks later at the overall, the Elks selected dynamic Waterloo quarterback Tre Ford. He played six games in 2021, recording 1,465 yards throwing for 10 touchdowns, adding 667 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He was named the Hec Crighton award winner in 2021 which is given to the most outstanding player in Canadian university football.

Ford didn’t perform in the 40-yard dash during the CFL combine, opting for his 4.4-second time in the 40 during his pro day at the University of Buffalo.

Jones says, like Mackenzie, he sees plenty of versatility with Ford.

“He’s used to having the ball in his hands and he’s good once he gets out in space,” Jones said. “Ford is a tremendous competitor and you can tell he felt he should have went first overall. That’s what you want… a guy who is competitive.”

With a new rule in 2022 of allowing two quarterbacks on the field at the same time, Jones sees Ford as a perfect fit for that rule.

“If you look at high school football in the states, the best player on the team is often going to be the tailback or the quarterback,” Jones said. “Guys like that are used to having the ball in their hands. The rule now which allows you to have more than one quarterback on the field allows you to be more creative at times.”

Ford is the first Canadian quarterback to be selected in the first round of the CFL Draft since 1980.