49ers: 3 Canadians the Niners should take in 2021 NFL Draft

It’s never too early to look ahead to the 49ers’ efforts for the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s also not a bad idea to look towards Canada to find some talent.

There’s a stereotype surrounding Canada. It’s just made of ice and snow, while everyone plays hockey 365 days of the year. While some of it might be a bit true, Canadians are pretty good at throwing the pigskin around.

And the San Francisco 49ers scouting department should be taking notice.

For kids playing football north of the border, the rules are a bit different. We have three downs, a 55-yard line, and the rouge. If you’re unfamiliar with “rouge” it’s French for the colour “red.” However, in the CFL it’s referred to as a single point after a missed field goal or punt/kickoff crossing the goal line without being returned.

Besides some little differences, the athletes with a Canadian passport can play with the best of them. In the 2020 NFL Draft, two Canadians were drafted, while another four were signed right after.

Most notable is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pick. They took wide receiver Chase Claypool in the second round. He’s a tall, athletic player who had lots of build-up to the draft. Claypool is from Abbotsford, B.C. In his time with Notre Dame, he reached over 1,000 yards receiving and had 13 touchdowns.

There are a few Canadians scattered among active NFL rosters. The most notable in the great white North is none other than Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, an offensive lineman with the Kansas City Chiefs. If you haven’t heard his story, it’s quite fascinating. He went from winning the Super Bowl in February to being on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. He graduated from McGill University with a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery.

The 49ers shouldn’t shy away from looking at the Canadians available in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Draft Network put together a list of eligible players from the home of maple syrup.

We’ll look at a couple along with a player from the University of Calgary.