Boseko Lokombo held the No. 1 overall spot on the CFL Scouting Bureau’s prospect list heading into Monday’s draft, which meant that front-office types held his skills in high regard.
But perhaps an even better measure of their respect is the fact he fell all the way to the third round before being selected by the B.C. Lions.
CFL teams hate to waste high picks on players who may never suit up for them, and the way Lokombo’s career with the University of Oregon Ducks is trending, an NFL career is a strong possibility.
In the third round, though, snapping up the athletic linebacker out of Abbotsford’s W.J. Mouat Secondary represented a worthwhile roll of the dice for the Lions, even though Lokombo is headed back to Oregon this fall for his fourth and final season of eligibility with the Ducks.
Head coach Mike Benevides said the Lions had the 6’3”, 233-pounder rated “extremely high.”
“It was just too much value to pass him up at pick 21,” he said. “Obviously we know a lot of information about Bo. He’s a standout athlete, a big, strong athletic player at linebacker at Oregon.”
Lokombo recorded 39 tackles last season, his first as a starter, and helped the Ducks beat Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. He has fashioned a reputation for making big plays during his tenure with the Eugene, Ore. program, and the Ducks have won prestigious BCS bowls in each of his three seasons.
