2015 MLS SuperDraft Mock Draft v 1.0

by TopDrawerSoccer

December 26, 2014

ORDER	TEAM	NAME	COLLEGE	POS	HEIGHT	WEIGHT
1		Cyle Larin*	Connecticut	F	6-2	190
The rising Canadian star gets to groom in sunny Orlando after being plucked with the first overall pick.
2		Cristian Roldan*	Washington	M	5-8	-
Should Jason Kreis opt for his favored diamond formation, Roldan offers a good fit in terms of a versatile midfield option who can break down opposition attacks.
3		Khiry Shelton	Oregon State	F	6-3	175
The Texas native had a banner season, earning Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The Impact grab him here in an effort to boost its offense.
4		Omar Holness*	North Carolina	M	6-0	174
The Generation adidas class is small, so snagging one of the prospects is going to be tough. San Jose has that honor with the fourth pick. Holness is a Jamaican midfielder with potential to be a difference-maker at the MLS level..
5		Otis Earle	UC Riverside	D	6-0	170
Outside back depth is something every team looks to address each offseason, and Earle is a former striker converted into a left back who can compete for minutes in 2015 and push Jorge Villafana in that spot.
6		Leo Stolz	UCLA	M	5-11	170
Who wouldn't want to watch a midfield of Stolz-Michael Bradly and Jonathan Osorio?
7		Oumar Ballo	UMBC	D	6-2	190
The Fire have cut a lot of players loose already this offseason as they look to retool for 2015. Ballo could be a bit of a reach, although he has the physical attributes MLS coaches look for.
8		Ramon Martin Del Campo	UC Davis	D	6-2	198
Houston's new regime is difficult to read, but grabbing the U.S. U23 defender here wouldn't be a bad start.
9		Alex Bono*	Syracuse	GK	6-3	195
Even with three goalkeepers already on the roster, TFC would be foolish to pass up on Bono, who proved himself to be one of the best players in the country, regardless of position. His GA status would make him even more worthwhile, and his relative proximity to Toronto should make him no stranger to the TFC brass.
10		Nick Besler	Notre Dame	M	6-0	160
It's a reunion in KC for the Besler brothers, as SKC opts for the Notre Dame standout. Besler is a capable central midfielder who doesn't do anything glamorous, but he can compete for minutes in the upcoming season.
11		Andy Thoma	Washington	D	6-0	-
A speedy left back who enjoyed a stellar career with the Huskies, Thoma projects at either spot on the left flank of the field. Would bolster the defensive corps of a TFC team that struggles at times at the back.
12		Fatai Alashe	Michigan State	M	6-0	173
A versatile and skilled central midfielder, Alashe can play both as a defensive midfielder and a center back. The Spartan midfielder does a lot of the little things to help his team succeed, and would be nice pickup for KC's midfield.
13		Andy Craven	North Carolina	F	5-11	167
Finishing proved troublesome for the Whitecaps during the 2014 season, and in Craven they land a hard-working forward who can do some of the dirty work and hopefully score once in awhile.
14		Eric Bird	Virginia	M	5-11	170
Gregg Berhalter loves skilled midfielders, and with Bird dropping down to the Crew at No. 14, the senior would be snapped up right away, providing depth in the middle of the park behind Tony Tchani and Wil Trapp.
15		Andy Bevin	West Virginia	F	5-9	160
The Kiwi is a hard-working center forward coming off the best season of his career as a senior, bagging 13 goals and adding eight assists. Not much went right for Colorado in 2014 and Bevin's addition gives them another option in front of goal.
16		Tyler Arnone	Michigan	M	5-10	175
Arnone was the heart of the Michigan program for the past two seasons and earned an invite to the Combine thanks to his sharp mind. He could be a great fit with RSL.
17		Seth Casiple	California	M	5-9	155
United taps back into the Cal pipeline, which rewarded them handsomely with Steve Birnbaum in the 2014 draft. Casiple provides depth in the center of the midfield behind Perry Kitchen and Davy Arnaud.
18		Boyd Okwuonu	North Carolina	D	5-8	175
Questions surround Okwuonu and his transition to MLS -- is he big enough to be a center back? Would he be a right back instead? Can he play in either spot? The Red Bulls can grab him here and give him looks in both a central role and an outside back role.
19		Joseph Greenspan	Navy	D	6-6	209
While his service status means he's up in the air, Greenspan is a 6-foot-6 central defender who is mobile enough to cope with MLS.
20		Saad Abdul-Salaam	Akron	D	6-3	170
A very intriguing defender, Abdul Salaam's physical tools make him a mouth-watering right back prospect, a position that SKC struggled with in 2014. If the Akron produce can show consistency at the pro level, he could compete with Chance Myers for minutes going forward.
21		Connor Hallisey	California	M	5-10	155
The attack-minded midfield saved his best for last in Berkely, bagging eight goals and adding 11 assists. He'll face an uphill battle to make the MLS Cup champion's roster, but has the ability to do so.

ROUND 2

ORDER	TEAM	NAME	COLLEGE	POS	HEIGHT	WEIGHT
22		Dan Metzger	Maryland	M	5-9	155
Metzger was a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school and club soccer. He matured under the watchful eye of Sasho Cirovski for the past four seasons. He is a center midfielder who tends to make the simple pass and would be a nice addition to Orlando City's growing roster.
23		Skylar Thomas	Syracuse	D	6-3	180
NYCFC needs warm bodies just about anywhere on the field, and Thomas is an accomplished center back who enjoyed a strong 2014 campaign.
24		Ricky Garbanzo	Coastal Carolina	M	5-7	140
The Coastal Carolina program is generating players with professional attributes at a steady rate and Garbanzo is the latest from that pipeline. Talented and determined, Garbanzo would be a great fit in Caleb Porter's midfield.
25		Zach Batteer	Stanford	F	6-0	170
Batteer's greatest moment in college came as a junior when he shredded the Maryland defense on a 60-yard individual run. His senior season never quite reached the same high. He didn't earn an invite to the Combine, which could mean he has other job opportunities with his Stanford education.
26		Kyler Sullivan	Virginia	D	5-8	170
The Rapids add a possible outside back with the pick of Sullivan, a critical figure in UVA's national title triumph.
27		Tim Parker	St. John's	D	6-2	190
Parker is another option at center back for the Sounders. He was excellent during his time at St. John's but never enjoyed a deep postseason run, which contributed to his lack of attention. He is a solid, competitive defender.
28		Jordan Murrell	Syracuse	D	5-10	165
His combine snub remains a mystery, but Murrell's addition here by Chicago would be something of a steal, as he's one of the top left back prospects on the board.
29		Sagi Lev-Ari	Cal State Northridge(m)	F	6-1	186
Toronto FC is always a tough team to predict in this draft, as the selections can be all over the place. Lev-Ari is on the older side and a finished product, but he was an efficient finisher in college. If he duplicates that in the pros, TFC will be estatic with this selection.
30		Jose Ribas	Creighton	D	5-9	155
The addition of Ribas would provide depth for SKC behind another Bluejay, Seth Sinovic. Ribas is an athletic outside back, tidy in defense and can add something going forward.
31		Manolo Sanchez	Clemson	M	6-0	205
Should the Union add Sanchez, it would be a homecoming for the Philly native, a wide midfielder with plenty of ability but struggles at times to be consistent.
32		Cameron Iwasa	UC Irvine	M/F	5-10	175
Iwasa is a creative player who works hard and could plug into a few different roles for the expansion side. The UC Irvine standout could be a good option off the bench in his debut season.
33		Akeil Barrett	Tulsa	M/F	5-7	130
The Jamaican livewire can man either flank in the Revolution's preferred 4-2-3-1, or can even play up front in a bind.
34		Adria Beso Marco	Connecitcut(m)	M	5-6	158
Portland rarely goes in the direction many suspect, but Beso would the player that could shine in the Timbers' style of play. He is a technical player that takes on the role of the washing machine as he can clean up bad passes and touches in the middle of the field and help circulate the action.
35		Wesley Charpie	South Florida	D/M	6-0	164
Charpie started all 81 games during his career with the Bulls. He is remarkably consistent and finished near the top in assists for his team every year. He is likely an outside back at the MLS level.
36		Axel Sjoberg	Marquette	D	6-7	210
Hulking center backs have a history of success in Houston, and Sjoberg fits that billing, standing at 6-foot-7. He'll need to show the ability to keep up with the speed of the game at the next level if he's to suceed in MLS, and give Houston another central defensive option in this draft.
37		Anthony Manning	Saint Louis	D	6-4	200
Manning is an athletic defender with good vision. He has composure on the ball and likes to facilitate with the game in front of him.
38		Nikola Paunic	South Florida	D	6-3	-
The Whitecaps bolster center back depth with the addition of Nikola Paunic, who spent time with the Canadian U20s during his college years.
39		Tyler Miller	Northwestern	GK	6-4	195
Ryan Meara is on loan to NYCFC for 2015, opening the door for a goalkeeper like Miller to compete with homegrown signing Santiago Castano for the No. 2 spot, and perhaps the starting role on New York's rumored USL Pro squad. Miller is a very talented goalkeeper and could go much earlier as well.
40		James Rogers	New Mexico	M	5-8	150
Rogers could be Seattle's replacement for Lamar Neagle moving forward. His technical ability needs work, but he is quick and he played with a bite to his game. He would definitely help the Sounders' USL team in 2015.
41		Daniel Keller	Louisville	D	6-0	155
Keller was a consistent starter over the past three seasons with the Cardinals and the type of player that the Rapids need in order to build some depth with the defense.
42		Andrew Wolverton	Penn State	GK	6-6	222
Only two goalkeepers are currently on the United roster, making the selection of Wolverton a nice pickup to bolster the team's goalkeepring corps. He is like Joe Willis 2.0.