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B.C. claimed him in the second round in 2015, 14th overall, after Boyko’s Canadian stock dropped when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles immediately following the NFL draft. The end of the 2015 NFL draft (May 2) preceded the CFL version by 10 days last year.

While Boyko has yet to dress for a game in professional football — he spent all of last season on the Eagles’ practice roster — Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono believes in his potential. And Buono knows that a CFL team can never have enough homegrown talent — especially on the O-line, the engine room of a football team.

“He’s a very good prospect,” Buono said. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to come here and be a superstar. Or, he could be. The first thing he’s got to do is get here, get to learn the system and have an opportunity to play. You’re always one or two injuries away (from a crisis). That’s why you can never have too many good players. We don’t expect him to just show up here and play right away. It’s late. But it’s not too late.”

Boyko admits he hasn’t spoken to a Lions representative — with the exception of former college teammate Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, the second-year Lions running back who played with Boyko at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Communication with the CFL team has gone through his agent, Kevin Omell, whom he trusts implicitly.

“It’s a tough deal,” Boyko explained. “NFL or CFL? What is the right place for me? I don’t know the right answer to that yet. I’m in the same boat as a lot of American players, hoping to get an opportunity later in the (NFL) season. They don’t have the CFL option. Fortunately, I have. There is some interest (on his part) in just waiting for injuries — or something to happen that would open a door for me down south. That’s my agent’s main focus right now.”