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Hamilton Tiger-Cats take receiver Mark Chapman first overall in CFL draft

TORONTO — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats selected receiver Mark Chapman first overall in the CFL draft.
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Central Michigan wide receiver Mark Chapman (3) is chased by Kansas cornerback Derrick Neal (7) and safety Mike Lee (11) as Chapman runs the ball 75 yards for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in Lawrence, Kan. Central Michigan won 45-27. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats take receiver Mark Chapman with the first pick of the 2018 CFL draft. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Charlie Riedel

TORONTO — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats selected receiver Mark Chapman first overall in the CFL draft.

The six-foot, 180-pound Chapman was the leading receiver last season at Central Michigan University with 59 catches for 875 yards and five TDs. Over four seasons at the school, Chapman had 147 receptions for 2,035 yards and 10 TDs.

A resident of Port Huron, Mich., Chapman is deemed a Canadian in the CFL because he has dual Canadian-American status as his mother is a native of Sarnia, Ont. It wasn’t until his senior season at Central Michigan that Chapman learned he could be eligible to play in Canada as a national player.

After performing before 32 NFL scouts at Central Michigan’s pro day, Chapman excelled at the CFL combine. He posted a time of 4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had a 36-inch vertical jump, broad jump of 10 feet 7 1/4 inches and his shuttle time of 4.12 second was second-best overall.

And just for added emphasis, Chapman went on to shine in the one-on-one competition. He was projected as one of the most pro-ready players in the draft.

Chapman was bypassed in last weekend’s NFL draft but accepted a rookie mini-camp invitation from the New York Giants. Hamilton obtained the first overall pick Wednesday in a multi-player, multi-pick trade with the Montreal Alouettes.

Montreal then took offensive lineman Trey Rutherford with the second selection. The six-foot-five, 312-pound native of Markham, Ont., appeared in 44 games at UConn — including 10 as a true freshman in 2014.

He saw action at fullback as well as both guard and tackle spots but considers guard as his natural position. Rutherford was bypassed in the NFL draft but declined mini-camp offers to concentrate solely on the CFL draft.

On Wednesday, Montreal landed starting Canadian offensive lineman Ryan Bomben from Hamilton.

The B.C. Lions selected Rice offensive lineman Peter Godber at No. 3, a pick they obtained from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Wednesday. The six-foot-three, 300-pound Toronto native was sent home early from the CFL combine after not testing but did attract six of the nine CFL teams to his pro day.

The Ottawa Redblacks kept the run on offensive linemen going at No. 4, taking Alberta’s Mark Korte. The six-foot-three, 295-pound native of Spruce Grove, Alta., started at left tackle over his four-year tenure and last season was Canada West’s top offensive lineman.

Korte comes from a football family as his father and brother played defensive end and linebacker, respectively, at Alberta.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders made the first surprising selection of the draft, taking UBC offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley at No. 5. The six-foot-five, 315-pound Windsor, Ont., native was projected as a first-overall selection but joined the NFL’s New York Jets as an undrafted free agent Saturday.