The Saskatchewan Roughriders added national talent to their roster during the 2026 CFL Canadian draft on Tuesday night. With their first-round pick, ninth overall, the team selected defensive back Malcolm Bell. In the second round, with the 18th overall pick, they chose receiver Dylan Djete.
First-Round Pick: Malcolm Bell
Malcolm Bell, a 6-foot-2, 188-pound defensive back from Montreal, played 12 NCAA games last season with Michigan State, recording 49 tackles, five tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and one sack. Before transferring to Michigan State, Bell spent four seasons at the University of Connecticut, where he amassed 94 tackles, 13 pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 33 games.
Bell has accepted an NFL rookie minicamp invite with the Cleveland Browns, so he will not be immediately available to the Roughriders. However, he is seen as a potential starting cornerback in future seasons. Roughriders general manager Jeremy O'Day praised Bell's abilities, stating, "Very good coverage corner. Obviously, when you look at our roster, how we're constructed, we're starting with two (Canadian defensive backs) going into camp. Just liked a lot about him from the tape and going through the interview process. Just a good player that played at a high level."
Second-Round Pick: Dylan Djete
Dylan Djete, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver from Lévis, Quebec, played at Alabama State last season, where he caught 28 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. O'Day described Djete as "a receiver that we kind of liked from the beginning. Someone we went back and looked at multiple times and he's different from the receivers that we have that are a little bit bigger. He's a fast receiver, a willing blocker and (we) can do a lot of different things with him."
Draft Overview
Saskatchewan has six remaining picks in the eight-round draft. The first overall selection was Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro by the Ottawa Redblacks, followed by Queen's offensive lineman Niklas Henning at No. 2 to the Toronto Argonauts, and Rutgers linebacker Dariel Djabome at No. 3 to the Edmonton Elks.
The Roughriders' draft strategy focused on adding depth and talent to their Canadian player pool, particularly in the defensive backfield and receiving corps. With Bell and Djete, the team aims to bolster its roster for future seasons.
