Catching Up With The Ticats' 2017 Draft Class At The End Of Its Rookie Season (Part 3 of 3)
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had a successful 2017 Draft. Of the Ticats’ seven picks, four are currently on the active roster, and two are on the practice roster.
The Ticats have seen great value from their draft picks, all the way from first-round pick Connor McGough through to eighth-round pick Sean Thomas-Erlington.
It’s time to take a look back at the rookie season of the Ticats’ 2017 draft class as the year draws to a close.
Read Part One here.
Read Part Two here.
Jacob Scarfone (REC)
2017 CFL Draft: 6th Round, 46th Overall
University career: University of Guelph
Jacob Scarfone was a rising star with the University of Guelph Gryphons when he injured his knee, causing him to miss the entire 2016 U SPORTS season. Scarfone was overlooked by numerous CFL teams despite being one of the most dynamic receivers available in the 2017 draft. The unique circumstances surrounding Scarfone allowed the Tiger-Cats to secure a top-round talent in the sixth-round of the draft.
CFL rookie season (to date): Status – University of Guelph
Scarfone attended training camp with the Tiger-Cats before being released. He chose to return to the University of Guelph for an additional year of U SPORTS football, and the Tiger-Cats retained his rights.
Future:
2016 draft-pick Felix Faubert-Lussier returned to Laval after attending Ticats’ training camp last season. Faubert-Lussier would go on to win the 2016 Vanier Cup Championship with the Rouge et Or. The Tiger-Cats retained his rights, and he was back in Ticats’ training camp this summer.
Perhaps Scarfone’s CFL journey will follow a similar trajectory.
Brett Golding (OL)
2017 CFL Draft: 7th Round, 58th Overall
University career: Wilfrid Laurier University
Brett Golding was another player that missed the entire 2016 season due to injury. Once again a top-round talent was overlooked and the Tiger-Cats were able to pick Golding in the late rounds of the draft.
In his three seasons of football as a member of the Golden Hawks, Golding played in three playoff games and was part of the team that won the 2016 Yates Cup (OUA football championship).
CFL rookie season (to date): Status – Active Roster
Golding dealt with nerves before his first CFL action, much like the other draft picks.
“I was nervous until I got onto the field, and then when I got onto the field I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve been here before. This is the same field, different spot,” he explained.
Golding is currently on the active roster, but the way he got there is unique for an offensive lineman.
“I think I’ve progressed because I just try and pick up whatever I can,” said Golding. “Honestly, what got me on the active roster was learning running back. I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll learn it.” The more you know the better.”
But how does an offensive lineman find himself learning running back?
“We had a couple injuries to our Canadian running backs,” Golding explained. “They asked if I’d try it because I already knew the pass protection and I was about it because the more you know the better off you are.”
And Golding believes it may have benefited his offensive line play as well.
“It definitely helped my overall understanding of schemes and why we’re doing things. Why the running back has a specific job and the o-line has another one,” he concluded.
Future:
Golding will have a bright future in the CFL if he continues to display the versatility and open-mindedness that landed him a place on the Ticats’ active roster.
Sean Thomas-Erlington (RB)
2017 CFL Draft: 8th Round, 66th Overall
University career: University of Montreal
Sean Thomas-Erlington owns an impressive collegiate resume. He was an RSEQ All-Star in 2015, Vanier Cup Champion, two-time Dunsmore Cup Champion, and the list goes on.
Thomas-Erlington is diminutive but powerful at five-foot-nine, 217 pounds.
The Tiger-Cats were excited to get the talented player so late in the draft.
CFL rookie season (to date): Status – Active Roster
Sean Thomas-Erlington impressed in camp with the Ticats and provided some needed national running back depth behind 2016 second-round draft pick Mercer Timmis.
Coach June Jones has been impressed with Thomas-Erlington’s speed, hands, and body control. Coach Jones has toyed with the idea of using Thomas-Erlington as an inside receiver and once again versatility has played a role in a draft-pick earning a place on the active roster.
Future:
Thomas-Erlington impressed in his first season of professional football and boasts excellent CFL potential.
The Tiger-Cats organization has had a productive year from its 2017 draft class. The crop of young players has made a positive impact in a variety of ways. With the 2017 draft picks set to enter their first offseason and, eventually, their sophomore campaign, Ticat fans can begin to imagine what new and outstanding talent will be selected by the team in the 2018 CFL Draft.