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With official NFL workouts set to begin April 17, the knowledge that the B.C. Lions have a Biggie hole to fill at WILL (weak-side linebacker) assumes its full realization.

Adam Bighill, the CFL’s 2015 defensive player of the year, is a New Orleans Saint now and headed to the Big Easy. And although the Leos will miss him, a conga line is forming on the right to replace him.

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Tony Burnett, a free-agent signing from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, has the inside track, but the competition for a starting spot at WILL will be fierce, with second-year players Cameron Ontko and Dyshawn Davis returning and rookie Micah Awe a captivating sleeper.

If the Lions’ player personnel people drone on and on about Awe (pronounced: Ah-way), it’s because he has a knack for knowing where the ball will be and then blazing a trail to it. It’s also because the 23-year-old Texan is, well, in the drone business.

Awe, who holds a degree in petroleum engineering from Texas Tech, is the operator of LeviMake (LeviMake@gmail.com), part of a fast-moving industry that uses drones equipped with HD cameras and GPS navigation for a variety of uses, including football, wedding and family videos, security, surveillance and package delivery.