2024 CFL Draft: Top 15 Specialists
The 2024 CFL Global Draft is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 30 at 11:00 a.m. ET, with 18 prospects from outside the United States and Canada expected to earn professional football opportunities.
76 players from a variety of national and sporting backgrounds have been deemed eligible for selection in this year’s class. All22’s team of scouts has undergone an extensive evaluation process on each of the top prospects, culminating in comprehensive rankings for both position players and specialists.
As always, the CFL selection process will be influenced by the changing NFL landscape. New regulations allow all 32 franchises an additional practice roster spot for an international athlete whom they are able to independently scout and select for the first time, with specialists now being eligible for those spots.
CFL teams may still choose to draft those players as “futures,” betting that the potential upside is worth the wait to get them under contract. However, the more significant the NFL investment, the less value the player may have to the CFL. As a result, Chicago Bears’ fourth-round draft pick Tory Taylor will not appear on this list, though his talent would have placed him atop it.
Today we feature the top 15 specialists available. For further details, film, contact info, and more testing information please refer to player’s profiles on the ALL22 scouting app, or contact J.C. Abbott.
To sign up for ALL22, contact Derek Sawyer at dsawyer@all22.org.
1) P Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt University (Australia)
HT: 6010 | WT: 185 | YPA: 45.1 | NET: 40.6 | HNG: 3.78
Hayball was highly efficient throughout his college career and finished the 2023 season as Vanderbilt's all-time punting yards average leader. He possesses the ability to punt with a multitude of different techniques and does not shy away from hitting a traditional spiral under pressure or in adverse weather situations. He’s an elite directional punter with the ability to pin a team between the numbers and the hash on a consistent basis. Hayball signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent but will be in competition with fellow Aussie Lou Hedley, a 2023 Global Draft pick of Hamilton.
Player role: Elite Starter
2) P Lucas Dean, University of Texas-San Antonio (Australia)
HT: 6020 | WT: 215 | YPA: 43.6 | NET: 40.3 | HNG: 3.76
Decently sized for the position, Dean has proven himself a highly efficient punter throughout his college career. He can generate elite hang time as he consistently explodes up and through the ball with great leg strength, maximizing his follow-through on each punt. He possesses a high-level directional punting ability and excels in both short and long-field situations, making him a true threat to any opposing return unit.
Player role: High-level Starter
3) P Joe Couch, Ouachita Baptist University (Australia)
HT: 5110 | WT: 210 | YPA: 44.7 | NET: N/A | HNG: N/A
A former Division II All-American, Couch is an average-sized former Australian-rules football player with a muscular build and elite leg strength. He possesses natural kicking ability with a controlled and repeatable process to match great get-off time. He is also very good at directional punting, which is evident in his ability to set his feet and maintain his line. The Aussie is very comfortable in short-field situations and is more than capable of flipping the field when called upon with decent hang time.
Player role: High-level Starter
4) P Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M University (Australia)
HT: 6030 | WT: 225 | YPA: 42.7 | NET: 40.8 | HNG: 4.14
A large-framed punter hailing from an Australian rules football background, Constantinou is a highly flexible and powerful athlete with great follow-through, making his ability to generate hang time one of his best abilities. He is highly efficient when used in open-field situations and is also a major threat when pinning opposing teams inside their 20-yard line. He does well walking into the snap and handling high-pressure situations, which helped land him an undrafted free agent contract with the Denver Broncos.
Player role: High-level Starter
5) K Charlie Smyth, NFL International Player Pathway (Ireland)
HT: 6040 | WT: 210 | PCT: N/A | LNG: N/A | KO AVG: N/A
Smyth is a big-bodied athlete hailing from a Gaelic football background who went through the NFL's IPP program in 2024. He possesses natural kicking ability, which he significantly developed in a very short time frame upon joining the 10-week program, earning himself a deal with the New Orleans Saints following the NFL Combine. He consistently generates great height and can effortlessly connect on long attempts, while showing a proven ability to execute under pressure and in adverse weather situations during the program.
Player role: Potential Starter
6) P Ryan Bujcevski, Southern Methodist University (Australia)
HT: 6000 | WT: 177 | YPA: 42.1 | NET: 38.8 | HNG: 3.71
A former Australian-rules football player with natural kicking ability, Bujcevski shows great touch on pooch punts with high-level directional punting ability. He often relies on 'drop' or 'roll-out' punts over a traditional spiral but possesses very good leg strength. He also does a decent job of generating hang time as he led the league in fair catches this past season and allowed very few return attempts.
Player role: Potential Starter
7) K Carl Heinrich-Meyer, Jacksonville Sharks (South Africa)
HT: 6030 | WT: 235 | PCT: N/A | LNG: N/A | KO AVG: N/A
A solidly-built former professional rugby player, Meyer has one year's worth of Arena football experience under his belt. He has the potential to consistently deliver across all three phases of the kicking game with an accurate and powerful leg, possessing a controlled approach that is replicated in each kick with evident attention to detail. He does a great job of consistently generating height and quick lift on both field goals and kickoffs while still maximizing distance.
Player role: Potential Starter
8) K Alex Hale, Oklahoma State University (Australia)
HT: 6000 | WT: 183 | PCT: 79.6 | LNG: 53 | KO AVG: 61.5
Hale possesses a powerful leg to match his decent accuracy but has a tendency to push his kicks to the right, which was evident at the Nick Novak CFL Showcase in 2024. He did not handle kickoffs during his final college season and would need to improve his versatility to start at the next level. Nevertheless, he showed up in various big moments throughout his time at Oklahoma State.
Player role: Roster Candidate
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