2025 CFL free agent rankings: receivers

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The CFL is a passing league, which means every team needs top receivers in order to be successful.

This year’s list of pending free-agent receivers is deep — arguably the deepest of any position — with several All-CFL selections, 1,000-yard targets, and playmakers. There’s also a nice balance of American and Canadian talent for teams looking to change or enhance their ratio.

The league’s free agency communications window, often referred to as the legal tampering window, will be open from Feb. 2 to 9. During this time, all remaining pending free agents will be allowed to negotiate with teams around the league without restrictions. Some players will agree to terms on contracts with new teams, though they can’t formally change clubs until after free agency officially gets underway on Feb. 11.

We have already ranked this year’s pending free-agent quarterbacks, running backs, and fullbacks. Check back soon for our offensive line rankings.

Please note that “N” denotes National players (ie. Canadians) and “A” denotes American players.

1. Justin McInnis, B.C. Lions (N)

The former first-round pick had an incredible breakout year this past season, making 92 catches for 1,469 yards and seven touchdowns to become the first Canadian to lead the CFL in receiving yards since Andy Fantuz in 2010. McInnis was named All-CFL, and were it not for Brady Oliveira’s excellent year in Winnipeg, it’s likely that he would have also been named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian.

The six-foot-five, 210-pound native of Pierrefonds, Que. wasn’t terribly productive over three seasons in Saskatchewan after being a first-round pick in the 2019 CFL Draft but has reached new heights in B.C. The Lions have indicated they’re close to reaching an extension with the star receiver, though they’ve yet to officially get a deal done.

2. Kenny Lawler, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)

The 30-year-old missed eight games due to a fractured arm this past season but reminded everyone just how special he is when he lit up Saskatchewan for three touchdowns in the West Final, helping the Blue Bombers reach the Grey Cup for the fifth straight season.

Lawler has missed plenty of time due to injury and suspension over the past three years but is arguably the league’s most explosive target when healthy and focused. The six-foot-one, 180-pound native of Pomona, Calif. has made 256 catches for 4,108 yards and 25 touchdowns over 63 career CFL regular-season games.

3. Dalton Schoen, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)

The native of Overland Park, Kan., missed most of the 2024 season due to a torn ACL he suffered in June. The Blue Bombers missed him badly as their passing game tanked, ranking eighth after finishing second the previous season.

Schoen was dominant over his first two CFL seasons, making 151 catches for 2,663 yards and 26 touchdowns over 34 regular-season games. He also earned back-to-back All-CFL selections while winning Most Outstanding Rookie in 2022. Assuming he’ll be healthy for the start of training camp, the 28-year-old should garner significant interest from teams around the league.

4. Eugene Lewis, Edmonton Elks (A)

The soon-to-be 32-year-old is coming off his third All-CFL season in four years as he made 74 catches for 1,070 yards and 10 touchdowns. Lewis was the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback in 2024, earning $320,000, but it appears as though the receiver market is coming down league-wide this offseason.

One thing we know for certain is that Lewis is unlikely to be back in Edmonton as Ed Hervey, who took over as the team’s general manager this offseason, made it emphatically clear that he will not pay top dollar for the veteran receiver. The native of Norristown, Pa. has made 398 catches for 6,261 yards and 41 touchdowns over seven CFL seasons.

5. Kaion Julien-Grant, Montreal Alouettes (N)

The six-foot-one, 210-pound native of Toronto, Ont. has teased a breakout for several seasons since being taken in the second round of the 2019 CFL Draft. His numbers this past season weren’t bad — he made 46 catches for 486 yards and one touchdown in 12 games — but they weren’t on par with his production from 2023 when he was on pace for 1,000 yards before succumbing to injury.

Julien-Grant has made 128 receptions for 1,656 yards and four touchdowns over 61 career games with the Alouettes and, at 28, should be just starting to enter his prime. If a team still believes he can become an All-CFL selection, he should garner some strong offers if he makes it to free agency.

Photo: Bob Butrym/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

6. Kiondré Smith, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (N)

The former first-team All-Canadian slid to the fourth round of the 2022 CFL Draft but has since established himself as one of the CFL’s most productive homegrown targets. Smith set all-new career highs this past season when he caught 74 passes for 933 yards and seven touchdowns and remains just 25 years of age.

The six-foot-one, 195-pound native of Markham, Ont. has proven to be a perfect fit for Scott Milanovich’s offence and seems poised to have his first 1,000-yard season in 2025 whether he stays in Steeltown or moves on to another CFL squad.

7. Steven Dunbar Jr., Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)

The 29-year-old rejuvenated his career this past season when he made 75 catches for 1,159 yards and five touchdowns after joining the Tiger-Cats just one week prior to the start of the CFL season. Dunbar Jr. signed a big-money contract with the Edmonton Elks in 2023 but was cut last offseason and was released by the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks after dressing for only one game with the team in April.

The six-foot-three, 202-pound target won’t blow anyone away with his speed, but he’s a good route runner with strong hands. After a bounce-back year, there should be multiple teams interested in his services for 2025.

8. Tevin Jones, Edmonton Elks (A)

The six-foot-one, 225-pound native of Amory, Miss. had a good season in Edmonton following his unceremonious release from the Alouettes in training camp. He made 40 catches for 731 yards and five touchdowns, averaging a league-leading 18.3 yards per reception (min. 20 catches).

Jones recently turned 32 but has relatively little mileage on his frame as he spent five years bouncing around NFL practice rosters before finally coming north in 2022. The University of Memphis product can still take the top off a defence, which means he should have no trouble finding work in 2025.

9. Hergy Mayala, Edmonton Elks (N)

The 29-year-old may have saved his career this past season, making 41 receptions for 503 yards and five touchdowns in Edmonton. The previous year as a disaster for Mayala as he was cut by the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers before relatively unproductive stints with his hometown Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The six-foot-one, 206-pound native of Montreal, Que. was originally a first-round pick in the 2019 CFL Draft out of the University of Connecticut. If last year was any indication, he may yet be poised for a breakout season.

10. Jaelon Acklin, Ottawa Redblacks (A)

The native of Mountain View, Mo. was one of the CFL’s ten highest-paid receivers last year but the Redblacks didn’t get a great return on their investment. The 29-year-old made 69 catches for 739 yards and four touchdowns over 16 games, marking the second straight season during which his production dropped in the nation’s capital.

The former two-time All-East Division selection has posted an impressive 4,186 receiving yards over five career CFL seasons but isn’t trending in the right direction. The six-foot-one, 190-pound receiver will need to take less on his deal for 2025 as he looks to prove he’s still one of the league’s top targets.

11. Kyran Moore, Edmonton Elks (A)

The 28-year-old has been one of the CFL’s best deep threats at times over his six-year career but is coming off a torn ACL that forced him to miss the entire 2024 season. This was the second time he sustained the injury, having previously torn his ACL as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2021.

The five-foot-nine, 165-pound native of Bessemer, Ala. has made 279 catches for 3,094 yards and 14 touchdowns over 64 career games with Saskatchewan and Edmonton, though his injury history will likely give teams pause.

Photo: Angela Burger/Calgary Stampeders

12. Marken Michel, Calgary Stampeders (A)

The five-foot-eleven, 193-pound native of Orlando, Fla. caught 68 passes for 774 yards and six touchdowns over 18 games last season, finishing second on the Stampeders. It marked the third time Michel has cracked the 700-yard mark in a single season, though he has yet to finish with more than 800 yards over four CFL campaigns.

The 31-year-old knows how to run routes and has a steady pair of hands but he’s not the deep threat he once was. After averaging 19.0 yards per reception as a league rookie in 2017, he averaged only 11.4 this past year.

13. Drew Wolitarsky, Free Agent (N)

The native of Santa Clarita, Calif., who qualified for Canadian citizenship after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota back in 2017, was recently cut by the Blue Bombers ahead of an offseason roster bonus. He made 227 catches for 2,954 yards and 18 touchdowns over seven seasons with the team, helping them win two Grey Cups.

Wolitarsky certainly isn’t a deep threat but he’s got sticky hands and isn’t afraid to take hits over the middle of the field. He’ll turn 30 in March.

14. Jerreth Sterns, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)

The 25-year-old failed to carve out a major role over two seasons with Saskatchewan, though that’s somewhat understandable given the deep nature of the team’s receiving corps. Sterns made 83 catches for 941 yards and three touchdowns over 23 regular-season games in Riderville and seems poised yet for a CFL breakout.

The five-foot-nine, 175-pound native of Waxahachie, Texas had one of the best seasons in the history of collegiate football in 2021 when he caught 150 passes for 1,902 yards and 17 touchdowns at Western Kentucky. Teams around the CFL surely haven’t forgotten that as they look to take advantage of his skillset.

15. Brendan O’Leary-Orange, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (N)

The former fourth-round pick out of the University of Nevada set a new career-high with 335 receiving yards this past year, his first with the Tiger-Cats. The 27-year-old made nine starts at field-side wide receiver, most of which came after Luther Hakunavanhu landed on the six-game injured list.

The Toronto, Ont. native has never really reached his full potential — his raw physical tools are pretty exceptional — but there’s still time for O’Leary-Orange to reach new heights.

Best of the rest: Reggie White Jr., Montreal Alouettes (A); Mitchell Picton, Saskatchewan Roughriders (N); Gavin Cobb, Edmonton Elks (N); Tyson Middlemost, Calgary Stampeders (N); Lucky Whitehead, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A); Tyler Ternowski, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (N); Vincent Forbes-Mombleau, Edmonton Elks (N); Nate Behar, Montreal Alouettes (N); Keaton Bruggeling, Ottawa Redblacks (N); Regis Cibasu, Montreal Alouettes (N); Rysen John, Calgary Stampeders (N); Nykeim Johnson, Ottawa Redblacks (A); Colton Hunchak, Saskatchewan Roughriders (N).

The post 2025 CFL free agent rankings: receivers appeared first on 3DownNation.

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