The Ottawa Redblacks selected Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro first overall in the 2026 CFL Draft.
Vaccaro - a Winnipeg native - spent the 2025 season at Purdue, appearing in 12 games. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder previously earned two first-team All-Canadian selections at the University of Manitoba as a left guard.
Ottawa's newest O-lineman Giordano Vaccaro reacts to being selected first overall! 🙌 #CFLDraft pic.twitter.com/CRxEseMCnb
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 28, 2026
The 22-year-old could also play center in the CFL, notes John Hodge of 3DownNation.
"Probably the best phone call of my entire life," Vaccaro said Tuesday after being drafted, according to TSN.
"They got a humble guy. They got a guy who's ready to come in to work," he said about joining the Redblacks.
Vaccaro is the third offensive lineman taken by Ottawa in the first round in the past five years.
| Draft | Player | Position | # |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Zack Pelehos | OL | 2 |
| 2023 | Dontae Bull | OL | 1 |
| 2024 | Nick Mardner | WR | 2 |
| 2025 | Keelan White | WR | 3 |
| 2026 | Giordano Vaccaro | OL | 1 |
