When the BC Lions traded for cornerback Jackson Findlay in the second round of the 2025 CFL Draft, they believed they were adding a foundational piece for the future.
They simply did not realize how quickly this future would arrive and how integral it would be to their hopes for the Gray Cup.
“We're talking about four starts, four interceptions,” defensive coordinator Mike Benevides gushed about the rookie Canadian currently holding down his backfield.
“I was making fun of the veterans. How long did it take you to get four interceptions? Four games? The old guys like TJ (Lee) and GP (Harry Peters), they don't like it, but I'll tell them.”
Findlay has been on the Lions' active roster nearly the entire season, gaining experience on special teams while carving out an important role for himself on defense. The reps increased weekly, but the 21-year-old from North Vancouver didn't hit his stride until Week 16, when starting safety Christophe Beaulieu went down early with a torn ACL..
Western University came into the game without issue, recording five defensive tackles against Calgary and three stops on special teams. He started the final four games of the regular season, making plays in each of them. It's a level of overnight success that Benevides couldn't match during his long and distinguished tenure in the CFL.
“Hell no. I go back to 1999, it was a long time ago, but I can't think of a single person in any position where someone stood and was just amazing from the top,” he said. “The closest was Adam Bighill when he had to play some linebacker. But when you look at free safety, the secondary positions are a challenge. I can't think of one in all this time.”
The comparison to Bighill, a three-time CFL Defensive Player of the Year and sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, is lofty, but Findlay can confound even that. Bye current Stampeders backup In his second season in Benevides' defense, he made over 100 tackles, having only seven tackles in 12 games as a BC rookie in 2011. Findlay has 26 to date, including 21 after Beaulieu went down, plus 12 more on special teams – admittedly 10 fewer than Bighill in that category.
A smooth transition goes beyond mere statistics. Pro Football Focus, an analytics company that evaluates the performance of CFL players, ranked Beaulieu as the league's best defensive player before his injury, as he had 36 defensive tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble. Since taking over, Findlay has risen to the second-best mark in the job. ranking him above two All-CFL players: Calgary's Damon Webb and Hamilton's Stavros Kasantonis..
“This is crazy,” Benevides stressed. “When you look at what Cribo (Beaulieu) did just as a sophomore, it was phenomenal. Still a young guy and everyone else, but phenomenal. But for Jack to step in and do what he did, it's just a credit to him and the coaches, RP (Ryan Phillips) and the guys.”
The Lions are a young defensive team that has taken plenty of hits from newcomers, including superhuman plays by Robert Carter Jr. in an angular position and instantaneous infusion from the likes of Levi Bell and Bradley Anae aheadT. Findlay is just a part of that success, but the only part that every other CFL team missed out on for the opportunity to add to their roster.
All nine franchises had a chance to earn OUA Defensive Player of the Year honors before BC traded to Toronto and selected him 16th overall in April. Despite the size of the prototype, the CFL pedigree goes back four generations and strong measurable testshe wasn't even the first defenseman out of the game: Montreal took Nate Beauchemin from Calgary two picks earlier.
While the history of any draft isn't written in one season, decisions to pass on a seemingly insurmountable safety prospect could be talked about for years to come.
“We knew he was smart – I mean, one day he will become a doctor. But he was able to make so many plays and was able to come into the game smoothly,” Benevides marveled.
“Free safeties sometimes don't want to mess things up in the box. He loves it. He damn well comes down in the box and gets the ball. He'll blitz. He'll do a lot of great things. I can't say enough good things about him because, number two, I make it difficult for him from a checking standpoint, and he does a great job. It's a luxury to have him.”
When Beaulieu is healthy enough to return midway through next season, the Lions may have a dilemma on how to juggle two star-caliber backs. For now, they'll just thank their lucky stars and hope Findlay's streak of peaks continues when it matters most.
The BC Lions (11-7) will host the Calgary Stampeders (11-7) in the Western Semi-Finals at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, November 1, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in to 770 CHQR in Calgary and 730 CKNW in Vancouver.
