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Draft worthy Canadians?

Draft worthy Canadians?

Several Canadians left their mark on NCAA football last season.

For four of those Canadians, those efforts may now come to fruition at the NFL Draft.

The 2008 NFL Draft will be held April 26-27, 2008, in New York.

Andrew Woodruff, the 6-foot-3 lineman from Victoria B.C., is ranked 40th at his offensive guard position by the highly regarded NFLdraftscout.com.

Approximately 250 players are selected over seven rounds at the annual event. In 2007 45 offensive linemen were selected. Many more were signed as unrestricted free agents shortly after the draft.

The next highest ranked Canadian is Montreal's Jabari Arthur, a former CEGEP Vieux Montreal quarterback who switched positions and went on to set Akron's career record for receiving yards with 2,653.

Arthur is ranked 53rd out of the 338 ranked by NFLdraftscout.com.

Arthur's senior season (2007) was his most productive, as he tallied 1,171 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Kevin Challenger, another former CEGEP star (Vanier), is also eligible for the 2008 NFL Draft. Challenger, a wide receiver, had 500 receiving yards and five touchdowns for the Boston College Eagles last season.

Challenger is ranked 108 among receivers.

Jesse Newman is the fourth Canadian with an outside shot of being drafted. Newman, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound lineman from Powell River, BC, has the type of athleticism that gets noticed.

A former rugby player, Newman made a late switch to football (playing with the CJFL Victoria Rebels) and earned a scholarship to the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns.

Newman is the NFLdraftscout.com's 60th ranked offensive tackle.