2022 MLS SuperDraft

[LionNYC]

2022 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas takes place on Tuesday, January 11 at 3 PM streaming on Twitter, MLSsoccer.com and other social media sites.

NYCFC has the 28th, 56th, and 84th overall picks

MLS SuperDraft 2022 presented by adidas

January 11, 2022 at 2:30 PM ET/11:30 AM PT - online at mlssoccer.com and MLS app

www.mlssoccer.com

 

[Fantazma]

I think they will use their picks just to have bodies and maybe offer them a spot on nycfc 2.

 

[LionNYC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1481034990066585609

 

[LionNYC]

With the 34th Pick, NYCFC selected Kevin O'Toole, F - Princeton

Maybe he plays on NYCFC II, maybe he goes into asset management. I put it at 50/50

 

[Alex Da Silva]

Interesting that both our picks are forwards with this defender heavy class, I don't imagine either of them being first teamers but could be good for the nycfc 2 team

 

[mgarbowski]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1481044439443333122

 

[moogoo]

correct me if i'm wrong, but Vuk is the only draft pick we've signed in the last 2 years?

 

[LionNYC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1481044439443333122

Mumsi 2.0!

 

[Sabo]

Remember when we used to care about the Superdraft because we thought we would get new talent that would make the team better ........ sigh.

 

[mgarbowski]

Mumsi 2.0!

Didn’t James Sands’s Aunt tweet about him at some point?

 

[SoupInNYC]

Didn’t James Sands’s Aunt tweet about him at some point?

Keaton Parks' family is all over twitter.

And yes, I believe it was around his selection to the Gold Cup roster or maybe when he first got minutes or a start?

 

[Keith Putnam]

Remember when we used to care about the Superdraft because we thought we would get new talent that would make the team better ........ sigh.

The draft idea is hopelessly antiquated. If any of the players in it were at all good they would have started playing professionally years ago.

 

[FredMertz]

The draft idea is hopelessly antiquated. If any of the players in it were at all good they would have started playing professionally years ago.

Maybe it should be just 1 round. Dike was drafted 2 years ago. As was Henry Kessler.

 

[Sabo]

The draft idea is hopelessly antiquated. If any of the players in it were at all good they would have started playing professionally years ago.

It goes to show how far MLS and US Soccer have developed in the last 7 years. There are late bloomers in soccer and guys who picked up serious injuries in their prime prospect years, so college soccer is not useless for everyone's development, but out of the thousands of guys playing college soccer it is difficult to find 28 who are good enough to make an MLS roster at minimum salary -- and a big chunk of those are Internationals.

Today's system is so much better than when the best young players went to play college soccer because they couldnt get playing time in MLS and there were no other good options

 

[Gotham Gator]

Plus, a big chunk of the best college players come out of the academies, so they aren't even available to be drafted.

 

[mgarbowski]

Most drafts seem still to have 1-4 well regarded prospects, and sometimes we find out a few years later that someone picked very late ended up with a productive career. I assume everyone at MLS is well aware that they could drop it to one round and almost never miss a worthwhile prospect.

As best as I can figure, MLS would rather spend a few wasted hours once every year than face the occasional anomaly of a 24-year old late bloomer who never got picked having more rights to decide where he wants to play than an MLS veteran. Frankly, I think it's nice that the mom of some kid in Princeton can be proud her son was picked in the second round and announce it on Twitter. Everyone ends up with a press release, and their colleges post about how proud they are. I expect most of them know they have little chance at making it in MLS, but for a couple of hours they can feel special before they decide whether to pursue a career in the USL.

 

[413Blue]

The superdraft is something that generates (limited) attention to the league in the middle off the off-season. It costs the league almost nothing.
Anything that can get an article or tweet related to the college the draftee attended is valuable.
I think the league understands that the draft is not very productive from a roster building perspective, but it certainly has commercial value.

 

[ZYanksRule]

The superdraft is something that generates (limited) attention to the league in the middle off the off-season. It costs the league almost nothing.
Anything that can get an article or tweet related to the college the draftee attended is valuable.
I think the league understands that the draft is not very productive from a roster building perspective, but it certainly has commercial value.

I would argue that in the era of the new 2nd division, the draft has just picked up more relevance and might be expanded in future years to help teams fill out their MLS Now team.

But yes, as for helping the first team, the draft is virtually useless unless you get a top-5 pick or so.

 

[LionNYC]

Most drafts seem still to have 1-4 well regarded prospects, and sometimes we find out a few years later that someone picked very late ended up with a productive career. I assume everyone at MLS is well aware that they could drop it to one round and almost never miss a worthwhile prospect.

As best as I can figure, MLS would rather spend a few wasted hours once every year than face the occasional anomaly of a 24-year old late bloomer who never got picked having more rights to decide where he wants to play than an MLS veteran. Frankly, I think it's nice that the mom of some kid in Princeton can be proud her son was picked in the second round and announce it on Twitter. Everyone ends up with a press release, and their colleges post about how proud they are. I expect most of them know they have little chance at making it in MLS, but for a couple of hours they can feel special before they decide whether to pursue a career in the USL.

His mom would be more proud likely should he graduate from Princeton. It's his fifth year at the school since the Ivy League cancelled the 2020 season, so I don't think he should need the full spring semester to graduate. But who knows?

 

[KevinJRogers]

The superdraft is something that generates (limited) attention to the league in the middle off the off-season. It costs the league almost nothing.
Anything that can get an article or tweet related to the college the draftee attended is valuable.
I think the league understands that the draft is not very productive from a roster building perspective, but it certainly has commercial value.

That about sums it up. Plus, you know, it is nice a mom can tweet about her son. And no matter what a player ultimately does or where they ultimately land, they can always say "I was drafted by MLS." That makes everyone look good.

We all know sports can be funny, too. Sure things don't pan out. Nobodies become stars. So you never know what you might stumble onto.