2024 Major League Soccer Mock Draft

2024 Major League Soccer Mock Draft
by TopDrawerSoccer
December 15, 2023

The 2024 edition of the MLS Draft is even more difficult to project than usual. The combination of new rules (sophomores are eliigible to be drafted) combined with a quick turnaround leaves plenty of room for teams to take a different approach. Players drafted will have their rights retained, which leads the possibility of underclassmen to be selected and decide to play in college next fall.

That makes this year's projection all the more difficult. Teams could aim for upside as high as the Top 10. Three freshmen are expected to sign Generation adidas contracts, though no official announcement has been made: Kimani Stewart-Baynes (Maryland), Stephen Annor (Virginia) and Pape Mar Boye (Clemson).

All that in mind, check out the TDS mock draft below.

ORDER TEAM NAME COLLEGE POS HEIGHT WEIGHT
1 Toronto FC Kimani Stewart-Baynes* Maryland W  5-8 160
A dynamic winger from Canada, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year has big upside and makes plenty of sense here for Toronto.
2  Stephen Annor* Virginia  F 6-0 140
The Generation adidas signee was the ACC Freshman of the Year. It's a close race between him and KSB for top prospect in the drat.
3 miami logo  Nate Jones Washington CB 6-3 -
A big center back that moves well, Jones is the latest center back prospect to emerge from UW (aka Center Back University).
4 Pape Mar Boye* Clemson CB  6-1 196
Another standout from Clemson, Boye anchored this year's national champions. The Rapids have four first round picks and are likely to shop at least one. Boye could slip as an international.
5 austin fc  Logan Farrington Oregon State F  6-2 175
Looking for this year's version of Duncan McGuire? Farrington's scored goals wherever he's gone. Can he do that in MLS? Austin will hope so here.
6 Chicago Fire Jacob Murrell Georgetown F 6-3 180
Murrell is one of the name to watch on draft day. He's shown plenty of upside for the Hoyas, but a year in school may not hurt him. It all depends on the fit and what kind of team can convince him (and vice versa) that he'll contribute in 2024. The Fire could use depth at striker.
7 dc united Matthew Bell Marshall W  6-0 160
Bell's consistency in the past two years has been notable. The Jamaican forward can play a number of spots and has the athletic upside to suggest he could make an impact in MLS.
8 nycfc logo Kalani Kossa-Rienzi Washington CM/RB  5-8 150
A tough and tenacious midfielder from California, Kossa-Rienzi didn't have quite the same season as he did in 2023. However, he remains an enticing player.
9 minnesota draft Hugo Bacharach Indiana CB 6-4 210
The Spanish defender can also play defensive midfield. His international status is likely to impact him, but he's a quality player regardless.
10 CF Montreal   Bryan Dowd Notre Dame GK  6-3 175
There's little doubt that Dowd is the top goalkeeper in the pool. It's one position that reliably produces MLS prospects; look no further than this year's MLS Cup winners.
11   portland draft Joel Sangwa Akron CB/RB 6-1 164
A talented unearthed in the transfer portal, Sangwa's had two solid seasons with the Zips and performed well at the College Showcase. He's a player that could thrive by moving to outside back.
12   Kevin Bonilla Portland RB  5-8  158
The WCC Defensive Player of the Year is a top outside back on the board, and seems like a lock to be picked in the Top 15.
13 san jose soccer Jason Shokalook Akron  F  6-1 161
It was a massive season for Shokalook, who bagged 14 goals in 17 games.
14  Alec Hughes Massachusetts F  6-4 -
An uber-athletic player profiles well for the Red Bulls. Can he earn a spot on the team? Hughes has the size and physicality that could lead a team selecting him much earlier.
15 Bryce Boneau Notre Dame CM 5-10 160
Getting picked here would be a homecoming for the North Texas native. He was a star for the Irish this year in the run to the national final.
16 real salt lake draft Wyatt Meyer California  CB  6-2  175
There are a couple of left-footed center backs in the mix for this draft, with Meyer among the top performers. He was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year; RSL can go in a number of directions here.
17 nashville sc logo Bailey Sparks SMU CM  6-1  160
A box-to-box midfielder out of SMU, Sparks has the quality to make an MLS roster in the right spot. Nashville could be just the right fit for him.
18 real salt lake draft Zachary Bohane Stanford W  5-10 150
RSL doesn't necessarily need to fill out a roster after doing decently well in the draft the past two years. Bohane could be the kind of player to pick here that could stay in school to grab his rights.
19 atlanta united Joseph Maher Indiana CB 6-2 160
Maher's been a stalwart at IU the past four years. He's the second Maher brother that will look to stick in MLS and would add another CB to the mix for Atlanta (who should be signing Garrison Tubbs as well).
20 revolution  Patrick McDonald Indiana CM  5-11 140
The junior has eligiblity left, so he could decide to return to school. He has the kind of versatility and quality that could help him land successfully in the league.
21 Jamar Ricketts CSUN LB  5-9 155
An athletic outside back, Ricketts was part of the College Showcase. The Rapids have four picks and can use one here.
22 sporting kansas city  Marcus Caldeira West Virginia  F 6-2 184
The striker is one of a handful of sophomores that could end up getting picked high, even with the chance of returning to school in the mix. Caldeira is a target forward that had a great year in WVU's College Cup run.
23 Sounders Taylor Calheira  UMBC  F 6-1 185
If Seattle doesn't just pick the best UW player available here, Calheira's a versatile attacking option that could be in the mix to play out wide or through the middle.
24    Jackson Castro Creighton  F 5-8 160
This is another North Texas native potentially coming home. He was a big driver in the team's 2022 success and adds an intriguing element in the final third.
25  Jefferson Amaya High Point  CM  6-1 170
Amaya's an exceptional soccer player that could be one of the best value picks in the draft. He runs the show at High Point, though his athletic shortcomings could make the jump to MLS difficult. Still, he's a good draft-and-stash pick in the 20s.
26 houston Dynamo  Tucker Lepley UCLA  CM 6-1 170
UCLA's stalwart had a great year, nabbing First Team All-Pac-12 honors. He played deeper this season for the Bruins, can he impact MLS as an 8 or 10?
27  fc cincinnati
 Kyle Genenbacher Notre Dame  RB  5-10 182

FCC could have a handful of outside backs to take a look at, even at this one. Genenbacher's another unsung hero for the Irish and profiles well as a modern fullback.

28 LAFC Hosei Kijima Wake Forest CM 5-10 165

Kijima's an excellent player that has the athletic profile to stick in MLS. He'd likely require an international spot, which makes his potential destination challenging to project.

29 crew Logo Josh Jones Louisville  CB  6-5 209

Jones has the size to stick in MLS. The question will be whether or not he has the pace and athleticism to keep up with the league's best attackers.

*Denotes Generation adidas signee.

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