Courtesy Hamilton Spectator:

The Tiger-Cats are on the verge of making a 21-year-old Saskatchewan lad the new face of their franchise.

As of press time last night, the Tabbies, who worked the phones feverishly yesterday in a bid to trade the top pick in today’s Canadian college draft, appeared resigned to keeping the selection.

And if that remains the case, expect them to nab University of Saskatchewan free safety Dylan Barker. The two-time all-Canadian would be the first defensive back to be selected first overall since 1993.

Barker is widely considered to be the best athlete in the draft. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder offers both speed and size and should be a lock to make the club once training camp breaks in mid-June. But the Ticats, who will likely groom Barker as a potential linebacker, had been hoping to trade the top pick in a bid to snag an established Canadian starter. The 3-15 Canadian Football League team wants immediate help after finishing out of the post-season in five of the past six seasons.

They also moved to shore up one weakness yesterday by swapping the No. 9 pick to the B.C. Lions. In return, the Tabbies received second-year Lions’ defensive halfback Markeith Knowlton and Canadian kicker/punter Ira Tchobanian out of the University of Ottawa.

The key to the swap is Knowlton, 24, who Hamilton expects to fill the void at the strong-side linebacking spot.

While Zeke Moreno is a lock in the middle and Ray Mariuz will earn a shot to start at the weak side linebacking position (the linebacker closest to the sideline), the Cats have been searching for a candidate to cover the wide side of the field from the other linebacking position.

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