First-And-Joel: Elks select Dublanko No. 1 in CFL Draft
EDMONTON — The Edmonton Elks have selected linebacker Joel Dublanko with their first overall pick in the 2024 CFL Draft.
Dublanko debuted in the spring edition of the CFL’s Scouting Bureau rankings at No. 6 after his draft eligibility was certified earlier this year.
The former Cincinnati Bearcat had 113 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in his final season with the Bearcats in 2021 and was named to the All-AAC First Team.
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Since going unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft, Dublanko has spent time with the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and played with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in 2023.
One of the standouts in the 2024 CFL Combine presented by New Era, the six-foot-one linebacker registered a blazing 4.59-second 40-yard dash, with a 3.84-second 3-cone split and a 4.27-second short shuttle.
In 2021, Dublanko was the leading tackler for a Cincinnati team that made the College Football Playoff.
Earlier on Tuesday in the 2024 CFL Global Draft, the Edmonton Elks drafted another linebacker in Eteva Mauga-Clements with their first overall pick.
