TORONTO - The Ottawa Redblacks selected offensive lineman Alex Mateas with the first pick of the CFL draft Tuesday night.

The six-foot-four, 309-pound Mateas, 24, an Ottawa native, started all 12 games at centre last season for the University of Connecticut Huskies. Mateas recently attended the New York Jets rookie mini-camp as a free agent but didn't sign an NFL contract.

Mateas originally accepted a scholarship to Penn State before transferring to Connecticut.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers followed at No. 2 and selected Calgary offensive lineman Sukh Chungh. The six-foot-four, 300-pound native of Coquitlam, B.C., was a CanWest all-star and CIS All-Canadian in 2013 and 2014.

Not only is Chungh an athletic player, but pro scouts were impressive with his on-field aggressiveness.

The Toronto Argonauts continued the run on offensive linemen, taking Calgary centre Sean McEwen at No. 3. In 2011, the six-foot-three, 297-pound Calgary native was the Dinos' nominee for the Peter Gorman Trophy as rookie of the year after establishing himself as a starter.

McEwen was a three-time conference all-star and twice earned All-Canadian honours but is reportedly considering a return to Calgary this fall to get a math degree.

The Montreal Alouettes raised eyebrows at No. 4, taking Wilfrid Laurier defensive back Chris Ackie. He does offer athleticism and versatility with the ability to play in the secondary as well as at linebacker.

But Ackie finished the season ranked No. 11 in the CFL scouting bureau's top-20 prospects list.

The B.C. Lions then selected Ese Mrabure-Ajufo, an athletic defensive lineman at Wilfrid Laurier who was a second-team OUA all-star last season. He's also going to be able to contribute on special teams.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders took Manitoba Bisons receiver Nic Demski at No. 6. The six-foot, 215-pound Demski, a four-time CIS all-star, offers big-play ability both on offence as well as on special teams.

This marks the second straight year the Bisons have had a player go in the first round of the CFL draft as last year the Toronto Argonauts moved up to take running back Anthony Coombs third overall.

The Edmonton Eskimos took the fourth offensive lineman of the opening round, selecting six-foot-six, 325-pound Danny Groulx of Laval. The 25-year-old native of Gatineau, Que., won two Vanier Cups with the Rouge et Or and was ranked No. 5 by the CFL scouting bureau.

Montreal took Richmond tackle Jacob Ruby at No. 8. The towering six-foot-seven, 315-pound Ruby, a native of London, Ont., was a four-year starter at Richmond and performed well at the CFL combine in March.

Montreal landed Hamilton's first- (No. 8) and third-round picks (No. 24) by dealing offensive lineman Ryan Bomben, a native of Burlington, Ont., to the Ticats earlier Tuesday.

The Grey Cup-champion Calgary Stampeders made it nine offensive linemen in the opening round, taking Laval's Karl Lavoie with the final pick of the first round. The six-foot-four, 285-pound Lavoie was a three-time conference all-star and two-time All-Canadian during his college career.

Lavoie's best friend is Pierre Lavertu, a former Laval centre taken first overall by Calgary last year.