The Canadian Football League’s Combine Week kicked off on Monday with the Edmonton Regional Combine. The primary goal for each of the draft eligible prospects in attendance is to earn a promotion to the main combine, which will be held in Toronto on March 27-29. Failing that, they’ll aim to at least make enough of an impression on CFL scouts to earn a longer look, whether in person or on film, between now and the May 12 CFL Draft.

Every prospect participating in the Edmonton combine has experienced a unique football journey in order to reach this point. Here are a few of the draft eligible players TSN's Duane Forde will be watching most closely in Northern Alberta to see where their respective journeys take them next.

Josh Brinkworth (DB, 6’1”, 205, Pacific): He was an All-Northwest Conference selection as a sophomore in 2012 and has had a productive career at the Division 3 level. However, if he hopes to make an impression he’ll have to adjust quickly to not only the level of competition but also the receivers’ pre-snap motion, as he played his high school football in California.

Dexter Janke (DB, 5’10”, 205, Okanagan Sun): This Edmonton native joined the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in 2010 as a highly regarded running back recruit and rushed for 730 yards in two seasons of CIS action. In 2014, he joined the CJFL’s Sun as a defensive back and will attempt to earn a CFL opportunity at that position. (Invited to National Combine)

Auston Johnson (LB, 5’11”, 230, South Dakota): The son of Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker Alondra Johnson didn’t get a direct invitation to the main combine largely because he was a late addition to the draft eligibility list. His numbers were down in 2014 but the stats line from his 2013 junior season - 69 tackles, seven sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, and selection to the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s All-Newcomer team – suggest that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. (Invited to National Combine)

Nehemie Kankolongo (LB, 5’11”, 220, Wyoming): Five years ago, he was one of the most heavily recruited high school players in Canada, and went on to see playing time as a true freshman running back for the Cowboys. After a serious knee injury and a lack of production, he became a backup linebacker and demonstrated that he can be a solid special teams performer. Now he aims to prove that he can do the same at the CFL level.

Quinn Lawlor (OL, 6’4”, 306, Brigham Young): He is something of a mystery having seen very limited playing time in his five years with the Cougars, but the fact that the Calgary-born lineman has experience in a major college program will at least make scouts curious. (Invited to National Combine)

Jordan Linnen (DB, 5’10”, 190, Manitoba): He has been an all-star in junior football (twice in the BCFC) and at the CIS level (2014 Canada West)...and he’s something of an anomaly in that he’s a draft prospect who has already been through a CFL training camp and played in a preseason game (as a junior player, with the B.C. Lions).

Aaron Picton (OL, 6’3”, 295, Regina): He’s not in the same class as former Rams offensive linemen Brendon LaBatte and Brett Jones but he enters the Edmonton regional as a definite contender for promotion to the main combine. The two-time East-West Bowl participant tied for second in the bench press at the 2014 version with 30 reps – seven more than he had completed a year earlier.

Bobby Pospischil (REC, 5’10”, 185, Simon Fraser): Pospischil’s exclusion from the original main combine roster represents arguably the biggest oversight on this year’s invitation list. The Coquitlam, B.C. native finished his NCAA career with 222 receptions, which ranks fourth all-time in Great Northwest Athletic conference history. That’s also 47 more catches over the last four seasons than the next busiest receiver in this draft class (SFU teammate Lemar Durant, 175).

Connor Ralph (LB, 5’11”, 232, Alberta): This latest member of Raymond, Alberta’s famous football-playing Ralph family is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his cousins, former CFLers Brett and Brock. While he shares the football IQ of his pass catching cousins, Connor is much more physical, having finished third in the nation in tackles in each of the last two seasons.

Robert Smith: (OL, 6’6”, 370, Manitoba): As one of the biggest players in any draft class, he’s literally impossible to ignore. That said, he’d definitely be considered a project and would need to lose weight in order to compete effectively at the next level.

Bibake Uppal (DB, 6’2”, 196, Simon Fraser): After being buried on the Clan’s receiver depth chart for four years, he moved to cornerback in 2014. His combination of size, athleticism, and untapped potential will earn him a long look.