Collegiate drafts are as American as apple pie. People all across the United States are enamored with the idea of a young player turning pro and helping shape their favorite sports team for the next decade. This is evidenced by more than 200,000 fans flooding into Nashville to watch the 2019 NFL Draft last April.
While the MLS SuperDraft doesn’t carry the same weight as the NFL or NBA, nor do teams rely on it as a major mechanism of player acquisition, it still serves a functional purpose that may never completely disappear.
As the amount of resources put into youth soccer has risen, the amount of talent that has gone through to the SuperDraft as fallen. The most highly touted young prospects generally get filtered to MLS Academies, sign pro contracts with non-MLS American teams, or move overseas to test the waters elsewhere. Those who compete in an MLS Academy are eligible to sign Homegrown Player contracts, and those who sign pro elsewhere can move to MLS clubs down the road freely. All three pathways side-step the SuperDraft process.
Regardless, the draft still provides opportunities for clubs to add players that can contribute now and well into the future.
A total of 42 players signed Homegrown contracts with MLS clubs last year. Some were young teenagers; others were college graduates. And still, Andre Shinyashiki – a first-round SuperDraft pick by the Colorado Rapids – was the 2019 MLS Rookie of the Year.
There are countless other success stories of the SuperDraft. Jackson Yueill, widely considered one of the best young American midfielders, was taken by the Quakes sixth overall in 2017. That same draft saw Atlanta United FC select Miles Robinson and Julian Gressel, Portland take Jeremy Ebobisse, and Philadelphia tab Jack Elliott.
Success with the SuperDraft depends on several factors. 1) How much does the club invest to scout and what sort of relationship have they developed with collegiate coaches? 2) What pipeline is established to provide the selected player a pathway to success? 3) What are expectations for the player and will they burn out from misuse?
San Jose, for example, takes the SuperDraft seriously. They have a full-time scout that watches matches, both locally and nationally. They heavily involve their USL Championship affiliate Reno 1868 FC in order to incorporate their development pyramid. They never set unrealistic expectations and would prefer the player learn at his own pace.
The Quakes hold five picks across the four rounds, including the 12th overall selection and the three of the first 38. The first two rounds take place on Thursday, Jan. 9, beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT and will be jointly produced by MLS and ESPN.
