The 2016 MLS Draft is upon, and SBI has you covered for all of the day’s coverage.
Beginning at 3 p.m., some of college soccer’s top stars will begin their careers via the MLS Draft. Throughout the day, SBI will be providing live pick-by-pick commentary and analysis, keeping you covered for all of the comings and goings of Friday’s event.
Before and during the event, check out SBI’s complete Draft Preview, and follow along as teams add a slew of potential stars to their ranks.
If you’ll be following along, feel free to offer comments, questions and analysis in the comment section below.
Enjoy the Draft.
Big thanks to everyone who followed along today. Feel free to throw any final questions my way before we wrap up what has been a fun week of Draft coverage.
Away from the draft, A.J. DeLaGarza sent to the Houston Dynamo for $125k TAM and $50k GAM
Are you surprised the Monmouth GK has fallen like he has?
Partially, but not really. Had a TOUGH combine, and it definitely scared a lot of teams away. Surprised just how far he has fallen, but was definitely due for a drop after struggling during the last week.
Following a timeout, Minnesota United has selected Wake Forest goalkeeper Alec Farrell with the 23rd pick.
With the second pick of the second round, the Colorado Rapids have selected Syracuse defender Liam Callahan.
Following a Union time out, Minnesota United back at it for the third pick of the second round, and we have a trade. A 2018 pick and $50k allocation money going to the Loons, and the Union select Marcus Epps, a forward from USF.
Another trade. TFC trade fourth and fifth picks of second round for $75k TAM. With the fourth pick, the Fire select Louisville’s Stefen Cleveland. Fire back at it again next.
Like the move for TFC. Already has Aubrey, and has talent coming from TFC II. Needs TAM to make any big moves, and had no real need for any more picks.
Fire follow it up with the selection of Delaware forward Guillermo Delgado.
At No. 28, the Earthquakes have added Lindo Mfeka from South Florida.
With the seventh pick of Round 2, the Whitecaps have taken St. Francis defender Francis De Vries.
Pick 30 now in, and the Dynamo have added Tulsa goalkeeper Jake McGuire.
With the 31st pick, the Revs select Kentucky midfielder Napo Matoso.
Pick 32 is the Portland Timbers, who add UCLA defender Michael Amick.
With pick 33, the Union select Clemson defender Aaron Jones.
D.C. United with the 12th pick of the second round, and it’s used on Monmouth goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky.
Real Salt Lake selects Washington’s Justin Schmidt with the 13th pick of the second round.
Houston Dynamo select Akron defender Danilo Radjen with the 14th pick of Round 2.
Next up is FC Dallas, who add North Carolina defender Walker Hume. Another big Tarheel to join Matt Hedges.
NYCFC with the 16th overall pick of the second round, and they select Xavier midfielder Jalen Brown.
Red Bulls up next with pick 17 of the second round, selecting Ethan Kutler of Colgate.
With the 18th pick, FC Dallas takes GA Canada forward Adonijah Reid. Youngest player in the field, so high upside here.
Pick 19 is the Montreal Impact, and they select the second GA Canada product, forward Shamit Shome.
Now on to pick 20, and Minnesota United snags Delaware defender Thomas De Villardi. Wasn’t at the Combine.
With pick 21 of Round 2, D.C. United adds Jo Vetle Rimstad of Radford.
Final pick of the day falls to the Seattle Sounders, who select midfielder Dominic Oduro.
And so ends the first round. Quick break before the second round gets underway, so feel free to shoot some questions our way before things get going.
Seattle uses the final pick of the first round on Brian Nana-Sinkam from Stanford
Toronto FC picks Brandon Aubrey, a defender from Notre Dame, whose stock plummeted during the combine.
One of the college game’s best centerbacks, but fell a bit after the combine. Mobility remains the question, but Aubrey is a beast in the air. Not the first centerback to deal with bad combines. Omar Gonzalez and Jonathan Campbell come to mind. Aubrey should be fine.
The New England Revolution pick Vermont forward Brian Wright with the 20th overall selection.
Montreal Impact select forward Nick DePuy with the 19th overall pick.
FC Dallas selects Jacori Hayes, a midfielder from Wake Forest, with the 18th pick.
We have four picks remaining in the first round. Montreal, New England, Toronto and Seattle are left in the opening round.
Hayes is definitely a bit small, but also plays above his size. Questions remain over his position. Can play as an 8, a 6, a 10 or out wide. Composed on the ball, smart player, has a nose for goal. Should fit in with FC Dallas very well.
The New York Red Bulls have selected Boston College midfielder Zeiko Lewis with the 17th pick.
The Seattle Sounders have traded the 16th-overall pick to NYCFC for $75,000 in general allocation money.
NYCFC, who also traded up to No. 3 to get Jonathan Lewis, pick defender Kwame Awuah from UConn.
Another UConn player off the board. Awuah definitely a bit small, but is very good on the ball. Started as a fullback but was moved into the midfield by Ray Reid later in his college career. Eventually played as a No. 10. Would assume he plays fullback at the next level, but defending could use a bit of work and need to see how he handles the physical aspect.
Are you guys surprised we haven’t had more trades? Or is it a case of after the top ten players have been taken, folks are just trying to get bodies and not really worth it to trade up or trade for a pick?
Bunch of these picks have been straight value picks, which isn’t a bad idea with the rise of USL teams. Grab the best player available, stash him and hope for the best. Now, even if there’s a logjam, there’s legit value to just grabbing a kid that has talent rather than giving up and trying to cash out. Could be behind the lack of trades outside the top few picks.
And as I say that, there’s a trade. Of course. Haha
The Colorado Rapids choose Sam Hamilton from the University of Denver with the 15th pick.
The Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls are next up on the draft board.
Colton Storm, a defender from UNC, goes to Sporting KC at No. 14.
Storm is fast, physical. Grew up alongside Rosenberry and Pulisic and was in U.S. Soccer’s residency. Very good defensively and has next-level speed, but could grow with the USL team.
Guys, lots of pundits immediately “grade the draft” by determining which teams did well vs. those who didn’t, and I always find this curious when none of the draftees have played a minute. How would you rank the teams that have done well over the last 2-3 years?
It’s so hard to compare. Unlike other American sports leagues, each team places different value on the draft. Teams like the Galaxy tend to not really care, while a bunch of other clubs build through young talent. There are just so many variables. Is a draft pick as valuable as a solid international signing? Depends on who you ask.
In terms of actually finding talent, off the top of my head, Philly KILLED it last year, and even with Andre Blake even thoguh he was a slam dunk should benefit from that for years to come. Fire have found Polster, Campbell, Vincent over the past few years, and Polster was certainly a surprise at the time. Vancouver stole Tim Parker a few years back. The common thread? All teams that aren’t big spending and are actually determined to find value here.
Real Salt Lake picks defender Reagan Dunk from the University of Denver at No. 13.
Sporting Kansas City is next on the clock.
After a four-minute timeout, D.C. keeps the 12th pick and selects Chris Odoi-Atsem, a defender from Maryland.
Strong fullback option for D.C. Probably the best value for the pick, and interested to see how D.C. aligns their defense next year.
D.C. United has taken a timeout ahead of the No. 12 pick.
The Chicago Fire pick midfielder Daniel Johnson from Louisville with the 11th overall pick.
Probably the winner of the Combine. Stock absolutely rocketed after shining over the past week.
Houston completes the top 10 with the selection of Joe Holland, a midfielder from Hofstra.
One thing to note: Holland will take up an international slot. Was expected to hurt his draft status a bit, but Dynamo seemingly liked what they saw at the Combine.
The Crew’s second pick of the first round is forward Niko Hansen from New Mexico.
Columbus also chose Lalas Abubakar at No. 5.
The Dynamo, who traded down from No. 4, are now on the clock.
After selecting Miles Robinson with the second pick, Atlanta United makes its second draft pick in franchise history.
The first-year side selects Julian Gressel, a midfielder from Providence at No. 8.
Vancouver chooses Jakob Nerwinski, a defender from UConn, with the seventh overall pick.
Nerwinski is uper athletic, talented on the ball. Started as a fullback, but has played in the midfield. Definitely a fullback at the next level, but also a bit raw at some aspects. As physically talented as anyone in this draft, though.
Quakes needed a younger mid. Filled several needs throughout the offseason (2 new defenders, a new attacker). Yueill’s selection somewhat completes the shopping list.
The San Jose Earthquakes are up next in the first round.
With the sixth-overall pick in the 2017 draft, the Quakes select Jackson Yueill from UCLA.
What about the Quakes taking Depuy? They havent had a good target forward since Lenny and Alan Gordon.
Not a bad thought, but might have been a bit early to grab DePuy. There’s definitely logic behind the Yuell pick. Provides creativity (and the Generation Adidas contract doesn’t hurt).
The draft keeps rolling on, with the Columbus Crew selecting Lalas Abubakar from Dayton at No. 5 overall.
Probably the most impressive centerback at the Combine, the Dayton defender brings major PDL experience. Questions over his height, but he’s certainly ready. Quick, smart, passionate. Crew look to have a good young CB on their hands.
Houston has traded out of the No. 4 pick. The Dynamo have acquired $100,000 in GAM, an international spot and the No. 10 overall selection from the Portland Timbers.
Portland has chosen Jeremy Ebobisse from Duke.
Big move from the Timbers. If Adi stays, him and Ebobisse should be a terror up top. Even if he doesn’t, the Duke forward might be the safest attacking pick in the draft. Definitely a big play for a team looking to get back into the playoff chase.
Don Garber, please fold my team, the Chicago Fire.
Have to say, I like the deal for Chicago, though. $250k is a CHUNK of change, especially for a player that hasn’t played a minute professionally. Fire clearly need experience, and that allocation money will help them get it.
Hard to like a trade until we know who that’s used towards. It’s like awarding a “winner” in the NFL for a trade involving future draft picks.
Especially considering we’re dealing with Chivas 2.0 in the Chicago Fire, I’d temper any kind of support for the inept front office and ownership.
Very true, but at least the league is finally releasing how much is actually being acquired. A decent chunk of change, and yes, it’s definitely on them to use correctly. Still, with the wealth of young assets the team has, should be beneficial to use that on a veteran piece. Have to say the Fire’s offseason has been off to a solid start, but still LOTS of work to be done if they want to get out of the basement.
Very true, but at least the league is finally releasing how much is actually being acquired.
Couldn’t agree more. Transparency will help this league immensely from a fans perspective.
That $250,000 is for not drafting a GA player, so the salary not saved must be deducted from that GAM figure. The Fire seem to have some other agenda and its not about spending money on players.We have the least affluent owner in MLS and he rarely dips into his own pocket.
The Chicago Fire has traded the third overall pick to New York City FC in exchange for $250,000 of general allocation money. NYCFC goes on to select Jonathan Lewis from Akron.
Biggest surprise? Actual details being released at the moment of the trade. Appreciate how rare that is in MLS.
What is the deal with Danladi. Everything that I read shows that he has these ‘questions’ surrounding him, as if trying to imply something about his professionalism. Wasn’t he just injured?
Durability is always a question, especially in MLS due to the physicality. There’ve also been questions about work ethic at some points, but his talent is next level. Heath has a way with young strikers, and wouldn’t be surprised to see Danladi thrive under him.
Atlanta United selects Syracuse defender Miles Robinson with the No. 2 overall pick. Robinson is also a member of Generation Adidas. Chicago and Houston are next on the clock for now, but there are plenty of trade rumors swirling.
Robinson a guy that could be a day one starter, even if Atlanta chooses to take it slow. Parkhurst should be a fine mentor and, if the rumor of another big centerback comes true, they’ll have time to groom Robinson a bit. Was definitely one of the more coveted players in the Draft, and wouldn’t be shocked if Atlanta continued to receive some calls over him.
Makes sense. Best defender available to a team still needing to build up that back line after focusing so heavily on the attack prior to this.
Minnesota United selects UCLA’s Abu Danladi with the first overall pick. Danladi is a member of the Generation Adidas class. Atlanta United is next on the clock at No. 2.
Ultimate high risk, high reward pick. An absolute monster in the attack, but injuries remain in the concern. Adrian Heath obviously knows what he’s doing, and has track record proves it. Could see Danladi play on the wing with Ramirez central. Have options up top, and it’s still early.
Minnesota United is officially on the clock. The 2017 MLS Draft is underway!