The 2018 MLS Combine kicks off on Saturday in Orlando, and scouts from all 23 MLS teams will begin moving players up and down their charts as they evaluate their performances at Orlando City Stadium over the course of the next week.
The announcement of the Generation Adidas class, which is now at seven players after the signing of Virginia forward Edward Opoku, has set the draft up with a good collection if younger prospects, though the lack of starting caliber rookie options in the draft pool should leave teams considering youngsters who are longer-term projects.
This year’s draft is heavy on forwards and fullbacks, and woefully light on central defenders, though many teams have addressed central defense depth by signing homegrown center backs. Those who don’t have that option will find the picks slim if they don’t have a high pick to spend on Stanford standout Tomas Hilliard-Arce, the runaway pick as top central defender in the draft.
Where do players rank heading into the Combine? Here is a look at how we see players stacking up before the action begins:
SBI MLS Draft Big Board (Version 2.0)
(*=Generation Adidas Player)
1. *JOAO MOUTINHO, Akron, Defender (Bio)
2. *FRANCIS ATUAHENE, Michigan, Forward (Bio)
3. TOMAS HILLIARD-ARCE, Stanford, Defender (Bio)
4. *EMA TWUMASI, Wake Forest, Midfielder (Bio)
5. *MASON TOYE, Indiana, Forward (Bio)
6. CHRIS MUELLER, Wisconsin, Forward (Bio)
7. *ED OPOKU, Virginia, Forward (Bio)
8. TRISTAN BLACKMON, Pacific, Defender (Bio)
9. JON BAKERO, Wake Forest, Forward (Bio)
10. DANNY MUSOVSKI, UNLV, Forward (Bio)
11. JON GALLAGHER, Notre Dame, Forward (Bio)
12. KEN KROLICKI, Michigan State, Midfielder (Bio)
13.MOHAMED THIAW, Louisville, Forward (Bio)
14. JUSTIN FIDDES, Washington, Defender (Bio)
15. ALAN WINN, North Carolina, Forward (Bio)
16. *MO ADAMS, Syracuse, Midfielder (Bio)
17. RICKY LOPEZ-ESPIN, Creighton, Forward (Bio)
18. ALEX ROLDAN, Seattle, Midfielder (Bio)
19. JEFF CALDWELL, Virginia, Goalkeeper (Bio)
20. MARCELO ACUNA, Virginia Tech, Forward (Bio)
21. MARK SEGBERS, Wisconsin, Defender (Bio)
22. ALBERT RUIZ, Florida Gulf Coast, Forward (Bio)
23. RAFAEL ANDRADE SANTOS, VCU, Midfielder (Bio)
24. POL PLANELLAS, Pittsburgh, Midfielder (Bio)
25. OLIVER SHANNON, Clemson, Midfielder (Bio)
26. BRANDON BYE, Western Michigan, Midfielder (Bio)
27. *GORDON WILD, Maryland, Forward (Bio)
28. JOSE CARRERA-GARCIA, California, Midfielder (Bio)
29. DIEGO CAMPOS, Clemson, Forward (Bio)
30. MICHAEL NELSON, SMU, Goalkeeper (Bio)
31. MAC STEEVES, Providence, Forward (Bio)
32. TIM KUBEL, Louisville, Defender (Bio)
33. BRIAN WHITE, Duke, Forward (Bio)
34. CHRIS LEMA, Georgetown, Midfielder (Bio)
35. CARTER MANLEY, Duke, Defender (Bio)
36. LUCAS STAUFFER, Creighton, Defender (Bio)
37. TOM BARLOW, Wisconsin, Forward (Bio)
38. HARRY COOKSLEY, St. John’s, Midfielder (Bio)
39. CORY BROWN, Xavier, Midfielder (Bio)
40. ANDRE MORRISON, Hartford, Defender (Bio)
41. JORDAN JONES, Oregon State, Forward (Bio)
42. AUDI JEPSON, UW-Green Bay, Midfielder (Bio)
43. PAUL MARIE, Florida International, Midfielder (Bio)
44. WYATT OMSBERG, Dartmouth, Defender (Bio)
45. DREW SKUNDRICH, Stanford, Midfielder (Bio)
46. FRANTZDY PIERROT, Coastal Carolina, Forward (Bio)
47. JASON WRIGHT, Clemson, Forward (Bio)
48. GEORGE CAMPBELL, Maryland, Defender (Bio)
49. WILFRED WILLIAMS, Oakland, Defender (Bio)
50. MAURO CICHERO, SMU, Midfielder (Bio)
51. BEN LUNDGAARD, Virginia Tech, Goalkeeper (Bio)
52. GRAHAM SMITH, Denver, Defender (Bio)
53. JOSH MORTON, California, Defender (Bio)
54. AFONSO PINHEIRO, Albany, Forward (Bio)
55. LUIS ARGUDO, Wake Forest, Midfielder (Bio)
56. MARKUS FJORTOFT, Defender, Duke (Bio)
57. NATE SHULTZ, Defender, Akron (Bio)
58. PABLO AGUILAR, Midfielder, Virginia (Bio)
59. ERIC DICK, Goalkeeper, Butler (Bio)
60. NIKO DEVERA, Defender, Akron (Bio)
