Purdue Offensive Lineman Selected No. 1 Overall in CFL Draft
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The No. 1 overall selection in Tuesday night's Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft was a Boilermaker. Gio Vaccaro, who spent one season with the Boilermakers, was selected with the first overall pick.
Vaccaro was selected first overall by the Ottawa Redblacks. He is the first player in Purdue's history to be the No. 1 pick in any professional football draft.
“I thought he was the best offensive lineman on the board," said Redblacks head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie. "He’s a helluva player. You know he’s going to come in, put his hard hat on, and go to work. We’re trying to change our image. (When you are thinking) Is he a Redblacks guy? He crossed that off our list as far as what we were looking for.”
Vaccaro came to Purdue in the spring of 2025 after playing at the University of Manitoba in Canada for three years. He appeared in all 12 games for the Boilermakers during his lone season in West Lafayette, primarily taking snaps on special teams.
While at the University of Manitoba, Vaccaro started in all 27 games of his three-year career. He was a Canada West All-Star selection in both 2023 and 2024 and was named the Canada West Lineman of the Year in 2024.
Vaccaro ended his career at Purdue playing a season-high 22 snaps in the rivalry game against Indiana.
No Boilers selected in 2026 NFL Draft
For the first time since 2019, no Boilermakers were selected in the NFL Draft. There were a few candidates who could have been taken in the later rounds — linebacker Mani Powell, defensive end CJ Nunnally IV, wide receiver EJ Horton and running back Devin Mockobee — but none were picked.
It was just the second time since 1998 that no Boilermaker had been picked in the NFL Draft.
Powell, Nunnally and Horton were all picked up as undrafted free agents in the hours following the draft, however. Powell agreed to a deal with the Tennessee Titans, Nunnally signed with the Atlanta Falcons, and Horton will get an opportunity with the Indianapolis Colts.
Purdue has had 293 players selected in the NFL Draft throughout its history. There have also been 22 Boilermakers selected in the first round.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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