Final 2022 MLS Mock Draft

by Travis Clark

January 11, 2022

The 2022 MLS Draft takes place tomorrow, as the stars of the 2021 fall college season get their shot.

This year's draft is similar to year's past. Not a mind-blowing level of talent, but a solid crop of contributors that could emerge as potential options in the near or even longer term. In the right scenario, players that have joined MLS through the draft have made national team appearances (Henry Kessler, Alistair Johnston) or transferred to clubs in Europe (Daryl Dike, Richie Laryea, Tajon Buchanan).

MORE: Scouting the Generation adidas class | Position-by-position breakdown | Big Board

Center back is a particular area of strength in this draft pool, while the eight-player Generation adidas class adds a layer of intrigue.

Check out the TDS mock draft, projecting all three rounds (note: expect teams to pass on third round picks).

Editor's Note: This has been updated in the wake of the FC Dallas trade with Toronto FC.

FIRST ROUND

ORDER	TEAM	NAME	COLLEGE	POS
1		Benjamin Bender*	Maryland	CM
If Charlotte hangs on to this pick, it's going to be fascinating to see what they do. Sources say they like Bender, and the roster is littered with center backs. So Bender is the pick here, even if it seems like a coin flip. The box-to-box attacking midfielder would force a nice tandom of young center mids with the recently signed Chris Hegardt.
2		Kipp Keller*	Saint Louis	CB
Should Charlotte go with Bender, Keller is a no-brainer for FC Cincinnati. A young, domestic central defender would be a huge pickup.
3		Thor Ulfarsson*	Duke	F
Is this a reach for Thor? FC Dallas traded into this spot and it's a direction they could take as they search for a finisher to help replace Ricardo Pepi's goals.
4		Isaiah Parker*	Saint Louis	F
The electric left-sided player is a dynamic talent that can drive a team forward. Could he move to left back? That doesn't seem like a stretch, and he has the tools to really excel.
5		Ousseni Bouda*	Stanford	F
The speedy winger from Stanford missed the 2020-21 season due to injury, though he was largely back to his best in the fall of 2021. In the right system, he has the potential and ability to really thrive at the next level. A center back could be the move here too. (Highlights)
6		Ryan Sailor	Washington	CB
FC Dallas can use the depth in central defense, and Sailor is a high-level, mature athlete that could learn under Matt Hedges.
7		Mohamed Omar	Notre Dame	CM
The central midfielder oozes quality, and has the physical profile that could even work in central defense. That kind of versatile and quality would be a nice fit for the Fire. (Highlights)
8		Ahmed Longmire	UCLA	CB
There's a range of opinions on Longmire, who missed a chunk of 2021 with injury. He's one of a handful of candidates that the Earthquakes could grab to reinforce the back line. San Jose will have had the chance to scout him as he faced Pac-12 opponents. Having only played 20 games for UCLA, all in 2021, there's a chance he slides a bit on draft day.
9		Roman Celentano*	Indiana	GK
With two goalkeepers on the roster at the moment, Miami seems likely to jump at the chance to pick a Generation adidas shot-stopper. Celetano is the higher-rated one depending on who you talk to. (Highlights)
10		Kyle Holcomb	Wake Forest	F
A clinical finisher at Wake Forest, Holcomb is the best domestic forward in the draft. The Rapids can nab him here and help his development and transition to the next level.
11		Sofiane Djeffal	Oregon State	CM
Another fascinating prospect to watch on draft day, Djeffal's quality is easy to spot, as he's been excellent since his first day in Corvallis. He'd be a logical target, adding midfield quality, provided the international flexibility is there. (Highlights)
12		Kendall Burks	Washington	CB
UW center backs Burks and Sailor are among the several standout performers at their position, even if Burks played as a right back for a big chunk of the 2021 season.
13		Patrick Schulte*	Saint Louis	GK
In need of goalkeeping reinforcements, how the first 12 picks progress can factor into D.C.'s approach. If one of the two GA goalkeepers remain here when United picks, it makes plenty of sense.
14		Erik Centeno*	Pacific	W/RB
Adding Centeno with their second pick of the day would bring in another young domestic player with upside and roster flexibility. They could given Centeno a shot at right back or on the wing.
15		Lucas Bartlett	St. John's	CB
The Red Bulls should have solid knowledge of the St. John's center back, as he played there in the fall of 2021 after transferring from Drake. Bartlett's age profile could impact him on draft day, as he turns 25 in 2022. He could be signed to anchor Red Bulls II, at the very minimum. (Highlights)
16		Farai Mutatu	Michigan State	W/RB
The senior out of Michigan State was one of the best wide attackers in college soccer last fall. The Whitecaps aren't in need of a great deal, so Mutatu could be a good option to try and convert to a right back or add to the attacking ranks. (Highlights)
17		Tani Olusaweyi	St. John's	F
Minnesota has big gaps at a numbre of spots. Olusaweyi missed a big chunk of the fall of 2021 season, so he could end up slipping. He's a wide-attacking talent that looks like he could fit well into Minnesota's 4-2-3-1. (Highlights)
18		Jack Lynn	Notre Dame	F
The Orlando forward line has lost quite a bit this offseason, with Nani, Daryl Dike and Chris Mueller out the door. Lynn's postional fit in MLS is tricky to suss out, though Orlando could go in this direction if they see the right path forward for the ACC attacker.
19		Esai Easley	Grand Canyon	CB/RB
Played as a left center back in the fall 2021 season, Easley projects as a right center back or right back in MLS. That could offer a more conservative option to backup Brooks Lennon. (Highlights)
20		Charlie Ostrem	Washington	LB
Ostrem is a known commodity to the coaching staff at Seattle after playing at nearby UW. He's very effective getting into the attack, and if he hones the defensive side, will continue to get better. (Highlights)
21		Alec Smir	North Carolina	GK
The Galaxy are one of several teams that could pick a goalkeeper on draft day. Smir is one of the top talents from the senior class, arguable the best outside the two Generation adidas prospects. (Highlights)
22		Philip Quinton	Notre Dame	CB
Yet another big center back, Quinton's profile popped after Notre Dame's deep run in the tournament. Standing at 6-foot-6, he'll get a shot at boosting the team's back line depth. Plus, there's a history of Sporting taking center backs out of Notre Dame, so why not give it a shot again?
23		Anthony Markanich	Northern Illinois	LB
The MAC standout is one of a handful of intriguing left backs on the board for this year's draft and a likely first-round pick.
24		Justin Rasmussen	Grand Canyon	LB/LM
With few clear needs, adding a versatile player like Rasmussen wouldn't be a bad move at this spot. He can play in left midfield or as a left back, a valuable add this late in the draft if he shows Bruce Arena that he can stick at this level. (Highlights)
25		Charlie Asensio	Clemson	LB
A former Atlanta United Academy player, Asensio offers depth at left back for Real Sale Lake. Consistency was one of the themes he brought to the 2021 national champs, and he'll see to replicate that at the next level. (Highlights)
26		O'Vonte Mullings	FGCU	W/RB
The tricky Canadian brings speed and savvy to flanks, and is another quality college winger that could be tried either in the final third of converted to wing back. (Highlights)
27		Matthew Nocita	Navy	CB
The 6-foot-8 center back from Navy has won three Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year awards, and could make for an all-Service Academy center back partnership with Zac McGraw. He moves well for his size, and if he can make it work to get into a preseason, he could earn a roster spot and contract that would allow him to delay military commitments. (Highlights)
28		Oskar Agren	Clemson	CB
Back line depth is something teams can find plenty of in this draft. Agren is a quality candidate that could go much higher to the team willing to accommodate his international status.

SECOND ROUND

ORDER	TEAM	NAME	COLLEGE	POS
29		Roberto Molina	Las Vegas Lights	W/F
30		Simon Becher	Saint Louis	F
31		Luka Gavran	St. John's	GK
32		Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador	Clemson	CM
33		Brett St. Martin	Maryland	CB
34		Nicholas Markanich	Northern Illinois	W/F
35		Tristan Trager	Air Force	F
36		Ian Murphy	Duke	LB/CB
37		Giovanni Aguilar	CSUN	CM
38		Oscar Pereira	Army	CM
39		Jacob Labovitz	Virginia Tech	CF
40		Carlo Ritaccio	Akron	CB
41		Chris Donovan	Drexel	F/W
42		Ben Reveno	UCLA	CB
43		Marcel Meinzer	Kentucky	CM
44		Milo Yosef	Marshall	W
45		Paulo Lima	Providence	CM
46		Jake Arteaga	Portland	CM
47		Jasper Loeffelsend	Pittsburgh	RB
48		David Garcia	Florida International	CB
49		Kevin O'Toole	Princeton	W
50		Kingsford Adjei	Dayton	F
51		Daniel Strachan	Akron	CB
52		Justin Bloyou	Penn State	F
53		Ike Swiger	West Virginia	RB
54		Delasi Batse	Charlotte	RB
55		Laukoa Santos	San Diego State	RB
56		Sebastian Schacht	St. Mary's (CA)	DM

THIRD ROUND

ORDER	TEAM	NAME	COLLEGE	POS
57		Tyler Bagley	Cornell	W
58		Haji Abdikadir	Louisville	CM
59		Seth Kuhn	Penn State	CM
60		Vitor Dias	Marshall	CM
61		Frank Daroma	Las Vegas Lights	CM
62		Franck Momo	Campbell	RB
63		Jacob Erlandson	Bowling Green	CB
64		Arturo Ordonez	Pittsburgh	CB
65		Tsiki Ntsabeleng	Oregon State	W
66		Carter Payne	Michigan	RB
67		Nathan Dossantos	Marshall	CB
68		Sivert Haugli	Virginia Tech	CB
69		Marc Ybarra	Michigan	CM
70		Carson Vom Steeg	UC Santa Barbara	CB
71		Andrew Akindele	Wisconsin	W
72		Charles Auguste	Creighton	CM
73		Christopher Grey	California	LB
74		Bridger Hansen	New Hampshire	CB
75		Lucas Meek	Washington	W
76		Achille Robin	Washington	CB
77		Nick Hazel	Lafayette	CB
78		Callum Johnson	Clemson	CM
79		Holland Rula	Wake Forest	LB
80		Zeron Sewell	VCU	CB
81		Gabriel Costa	SMU	W
82		Pierre Reedy	Penn State	CM
83		George Marks	Clemson	GK
84		Gio Miglietti	Washington	F