MLS Superdraft 2026 Grades

The MLS Superdraft started at 2 PM on December 18th, and if you blinked you would have missed it. The picks were tallied on a tracker on the MLS website, but the real breaking news came on X as teams announced their picks one after the other. By the time the dust had settled, the entire draft - 90 picks worth of players - was finished in under two hours.

For those keeping score at home, that means about 1:20 per pick, for the entire draft. That’s outrageously fast, and basically impossible for a live draft. The only way it could have worked like this is that the draft took place earlier - either the morning or the day before - and the announcements were all that was “live”. I guess MLS is well within their rights to do it this way, but it does take some of the live excitement and anticipation out of it. It also made it impossible to follow; by the time you’d perceived that one pick was made, and started to examine it, another had already been made. I was playing catchup the entire time. I certainly spent more time working on this recap than MLS spent on the draft.

Now the players have been picked, and with a second to breathe, we can evaluate and grade each of the drafts. Going by team, from earliest pick to latest:

DC United - A

Before the draft, I heard that DC wanted to find 3 starters from their draft group. I laughed. I thought it was outrageous.

I might have to eat my words. This was a great draft for DC; they avoided the really bad pick (we’ll get to it) that everyone thought they’d make with the 1st pick. Markovic is not as physical as Kelp, but still shows a lot of promise and is fairly young. Richie Aman is just a brilliant playmaker and I think he has a pretty clear shot at the DC roster. Stephane Njike and Kelp are both “backyard” picks, which you see a lot of in the draft, but they’re high quality picks (both ASA Approved™).

I think Emojong is a draft and stash pick, and Njike has that option as well. No pressure to come out of college especially with the lack of a Next Pro team. Could they have done better with the 31st pick? Sure, but they did well enough elsewhere that I understand the gamble.

FC Dallas - B-

FC Dallas had a busy draft, trading all over the place and getting picks 2, 3, and 16. I feel like they spent a lot to get these picks, and neither of them are terribly impressive.

Ricky Louis from Georgia Southern is a capable wide forward, but his shooting focus isn’t (in my opinion) going to gel with what FC Dallas needs right away. Nicholas Simmonds was not very good by the numbers. His shot volume, shot quality, and 1v1 ability just aren’t what you see from players who make the jump to MLS. He is very young, and everything I’ve heard indicates that people really like him around the league. I just think Dallas burned a lot of resources getting these guys in.

At the same time I think Edouard Nys might be the most pro ready player that was drafted. His stats as an attacking midfielder are next level, and I think he could play in at least 3 different positions at the next level. Umberto Pela is another really solid midfielder who combines on ball quality with real defensive bite as well. It’s these guys that bump the grade up into the Bs.

Ogunleye is a solid defender who I think will go back to school for a year, and benefit from the seasoning.

Sporting Kansas City - C-

Sporting KC rounds out the first 4 picks by taking the last Generation Adidas player available in Kwaku Agyabeng. I’m going to be honest; I hate this pick. SKC has so many needs in every feasible position, and I don’t think Agyabeng adds much of anything. There’s a chance that he will develop and blossom in MLS, but I just don’t see it right now. He’s not progressive, he’s not particularly clean on the ball, and while he does get a decent number of shots it’s not a game changing amount.

Nikos Clarke-Tosczak got a lot of buzz at the College Showcase. He’s on the small side, so may translate as a more conservative left fullback at the next level or a CB in a back 3. Sadam Masareka was a solid pick, a decent deeper lying forward with an attacking bent.

Blake D’Agostino saves this group in my opinion; the domestic center forward is one of the best of the center forward class at taking on opponents and getting shots in transition. He’s high risk/high reward, but he’s consistently produced at Cal Baptist. He might return for another year of college but I think SKC should do everything they can to get him in the first team.

Orlando City SC - B

Orlando did some wheeling and dealing of their own, and ended up with 4 first round picks. The team definitely went after positions of need, and while I can split hairs on the players they picked I think the reasoning is mostly sound.

Harvey Sarajian is an intriguing player; he’s a 6’2” forward who doesn’t get a lot of shots, but can create well for his teammates and provides a nice outlet for teammates passing out of the back. He loves to go 1v1 but he’s only so-so at it. I’m not sure where he profiles at the next level, because he doesn’t play like a true center forward at all.

Nolan Miller provides instant depth at RCB for Orlando, a position they need help in with their offseason departures. I’m not convinced of his quality, or of Ferguson’s who is more of a safety pick in case Miller doesn’t work out. Jaylen Yearwood is a right back who can slot in as a backup to Alex Freeman, with the hope that he will be ready when Freeman inevitably makes the jump to Europe. Issah Haruna has some nice traits but lags in the key skills that make a midfielder successful. He may need another year in college to round out his game.

Colorado Rapids - D

Colorado gets a tougher grade here because I don’t understand the strategy. The Rapids have been going heavy on the draft for years; over the past 3 years they’ve had 21 picks. Despite the 15 picks in 2024 and 2025, though, they didn’t have any of their draft picks play more than 550 minutes in 2025.

This year seems like a different strategy. Not listed above is Mamadou Billo Diop, who Colorado took with the 6th pick. He was an MLS Next Pro player from their reserves. They kind of had to do it; I won’t go too heavy in the details but essentially you can’t just sign players willy nilly to first team contracts if they don’t come from your academy. MBD joined the Rapids 2 from high school directly, and another MLS team (we don’t know who) nominated him to be draft eligible. That meant any team could have picked up his MLS rights, forcing the Rapids to burn a valuable pick to keep him.

Somewhat undermining that pick is the fact that Colorado took two other forwards in the first round. I really like Baker; he’s got elite size but a level of ball skills you don’t always see in that profile. I’m not as convinced by Musah, but also think he might return to Clemson.

The problem is that the Rapids already have Alex Harris and Sydney Wathuta, who are forwards, and previously drafted Donovan Phillip (NC State center forward and Mac Hermann finalist), Palmer Ault (Indiana forward), and Matthew Van Horn (Georgetown forward). Frankly, that’s too many forwards. I understand it’s like playing the lottery, but there just aren’t enough minutes between the Rapids 2 and the first team. I don’t think Colorado needed this many picks.

Hestad, Johnson, and de Coteau might be contributors; they didn’t score all that well, though.

St Louis City SC - A+

St Louis made the most of their three picks, and did admirably with all three.

Lillington (another ASA pick) exploded up the draft boards after very little hype. He wasn’t even first team in his conference, and his conference isn’t even one of the big ones. At the same time, he picked up buzz heading into the Showcase and from what I hear was impressive there. I think he’s best played as an 8 long term, even if that means more adjustment; he entered the Showcase listed as a defender, but didn’t really play that way as much in 2025. I think he can start opening day in the midfield for St Louis.

Andrew Samuels was the ASA top GK and to me, a surprise to see available this late. He had incredible shot stopping numbers, with a 0.42 G/xG ratio and over 87% save rate. Both of these numbers are better than Roman Celentano’s best season, the prior high water mark for GKs entering the draft. He has USMNT potential as a shot stopper.

Forcellini is a solid, if not spectacular pick. He will likely bolster a relatively weak reserve side, and if he can impress there he has a pathway to the first team.

Houston Dynamo - C

Aside from the first pick, Houston didn’t have a terrible draft. At the same time, that first pick was atrocious. The only really elite thing Highfield has is duel winning, but it doesn’t really translate into shot volume or quality the way you’d hope for a center forward. It feels like a wasted pick.

Calem Tommy and Agustin Resch are both fairly competent players and good value picks who have an outside chance of making the first team. Resch played on both the right and left side as a CB, which is useful flexibility. Brummet is like Highfield but worse in every metric that counts.

Gilberto Rivera was one of the last picks but statistically one of the best progressive midfielders in the draft. Houston did not have a good midfield in 2025, and moved regular starter Brooklyn Raines, so there is a vacuum that Rivera could fill immediately.

Atlanta United - C+

Atlanta only had two picks, but their first one was a very good pick. Although Dovlo isn’t the highest rated Wide Forward available he’s a good fit for the Five Stripes. He’s very comfortable on the ball, and is a real gamer who stepped up during the NCAA tournament. If he makes the first team I could see him operating in the opposite half space to Almiron, where Atlanta lacked some playmaking. They also got 400K in GAM for trading down from 2 to 12. I don’t think that move down impacted their draft quality in the slightest and it’s a useful chunk of change.

Noah James was an ok third round pick but I don’t think he has the on ball ability to be an impact midfielder in MLS. The second team does need a more attacking focused central midfielder, and James might be able to offer that.

Real Salt Lake - D

Real Salt Lake had a busy draft, trading multiple times and ending up with 6 picks. Unfortunately, most of those picks were bad. This is similar to last season where they took 8 players and many bad. They took 4 defenders, only one of whom seems to be able to defend at a high level. They also have 2 defenders coming in from last year’s draft.

Lukas Magnason went first, one of 4 Clemson players to go in the first round (despite the fact that Clemson kind of stunk this year by their standards). His statistical profile is weak, below average in mostly everything you look for in a center back. The other three defenders aren’t particularly notable, aside from Niklas Soerensen.

Jefferson Amaya is a guy who has had solid if not spectacular stats for years, but coaches and scouts really like him and he’s been a locked starter for High Point since being a freshman. I could see him carving out a role in MLS.

Beason is a center forward who doesn’t score. That fits RSL, but it’s not going to bump your draft score.

Portland Timbers - B

Portland did reasonably well with their 3 picks. Justin McLean was a strong pick at a position of need. He can slot in either centrally or push out to be more of an inside forward. He’s a fringe first team player but that’s ok with the 15th pick.

Their second pick, Colin Griffiths, doesn’t show up on the chart because he missed 2025 due to injury. He is a left side attacker but is more of a ball progressor and take on merchant who will likely have to shift to LB to make an impact in MLS.

Lucas Fernandez Kim is an experienced and capable midfielder. He doesn’t progress play or make things happen at a high level, nor does he win duels like a 6. He’s a low ceiling high floor kind of player; the question is if that floor is enough to make a first team roster.

Vancouver Whitecaps - B+

Vancouver drafted 4 players who are flexible and could play a number of different positions at the next level. That’s a smart approach from a team who is fairly set in terms of quality. They also acquired the rights to Princeton’s Daniel Ittycheria in a trade. I don’t see any real game changers here but I would be surprised if none of these players make it in the long term.

None of the 4 are likely to make the first team roster right away, as the Whitecaps are fairly comfortable. The Whitecaps 2 do need help in the midfield and Ramsey and Lofy might slot right in, continuing their partnership.

Zuluaga is a utility attacker in the Sydney Wathuta mold who will need to find a position at the next level but if he does, I feel like his path to the first team is the shortest.

Vancouver took 3 of the 4 from the Pacific Northwest, which is backyard drafting to the extreme.

Chicago Fire - B-

Jack Sandmeyer was the lone Chicago pick. He’s a 6’5” midfielder who doesn’t do much with the ball but is a killer off of it. I think he’s likely to project as a center back, but will have to adapt to the speed of MLS.

New York Red Bulls - B+

NYRB backyard drafted a good GK who has a great blend of distribution and shot stopping. With Coronel departing there’s a non-zero chance that Hut starts opening day. He would only have to beat McCarthy. If he does become the starter that’s an extremely high value pick.

Charlotte FC - B

Charlotte is one of the few teams to end up with all three picks that they earned. Taking Cleary with the first pick is a good choice as he fills a position of need and looks like a player who can contribute early.

Adams is a bit more of a project as an individual defender, but has great size and is a good player on the ball. At 6’4”, he definitely has the potential to be a physically dominant center back as he develops.

Jahiem Wickham was a sold, but not spectacular goalkeeper. He is fairly secure on the ball but his 0.98 G/xG and 70% save rate put him squarely in the middle of the pack.

Charlotte also adds Clemson forward Nathan Richmond and more traditional central defender Andrew Johnson from Cornell from last year’s draft.

Minnesota United - A-

Minnesota used their 4 picks fairly well, and have two players coming in from last draft as well. They also have a very successful reserve side which has consistently produced talent for the first team. They keep the conveyor belt moving with these picks.

Jaylinn Mitchell is a player who slots in at left back, likely behind Anthony Markanich and Keiran Chandler. That means he will have plenty of time to develop before being called on to be a major contributor, and even could return to college for a year without hurting Minnesota.

Hormozi is a really good quality attacking midfielder who can progress, create chances, and get shots. He’ll have to improve the quality of his shots, and might be a candidate to move further back into more of an 8 role at the next level.

Aiden Bengard is an excellent defender, and while he wasn’t on the ball much this year he did good things with it when he was. He could return to college for a year of seasoning, but with Britton Fischer moving up from the reserves there would be an opening on the MNU2 back line.

Finally, Michal Mroz is a decent keeper with a 0.79 G/xG and 74.7% save rate. He also completed a good deal of progressive passes. As a sophomore, he could make the jump or hold out for a year and look to transfer to a top NCAA side.

Los Angeles FC - C-

LAFC had two picks, and didn’t really do that much with them. Fravolini Whitchurch doesn’t have great numbers on the ball but the buzz around the Showcase was mostly positive. Iain Wagner’s main notable trait is his ball security which points to a holding midfield future. LAFC does have spots in the midfield at both first team and reserve levels, but Wagner might need more time before he’s ready to make the jump to the next level. As a third round pick I would be surprised if he did not stay in school.

New York City FC - A-

NYCFC brings in two of the higher rated players in the draft, bookending two fairly underwhelming midfielders. Ransford Gyan is one of the most exciting players in college soccer, but he likely fell to 27th as there are serious questions about how his 5’3” frame will translate to the next level.

Luca Nikolai is an extremely well rounded fullback who can both attack and defend at a high level. At 6’1” he has the frame to do the hard defensive work required. The only issue is that NYCFC has 3 young right backs who need playing time, and they’re having trouble balancing that already. Nikolai might not have an immediate pathway to play time.

NYCFC is depleted at the first team level in the midfield, and has holes in their second team as well. Despite that, neither of the two midfielders taken are likely to contribute at a first team level in a way the team would need. They are bringing Cooper Flax in on a homegrown deal.

From last year’s draft, forwards Arnau Farnos and AJ Smith can join the team as well. That makes a well rounded class which should reload the second team and potentially add some first team contributors as well.

San Diego FC - B+

San Diego did a great job in last years draft, finding a gem in Manu Duah and a regular starter in Ian Pilcher. I think they did a solid job in this draft as well. Martin Luala balances progressive play and ball security in a way that could fit in to the San Diego offense, though I don’t think he will have an immediate impact.

Remi Agunbiade is a high level center forward, and San Diego has struggled to find and keep good central forward options. Agunbiade is someone I could see earning first team minutes right away as depth and a change of pace off the bench. He’s one of the best young forwards available and a strong 1v1 player.

Kyle Durham is a solid GK with a 0.86 G/xG and 80% save rate, but not outstanding. I think it is unlikely that he would become a starting option for San Diego.

The team also adds wide forward Donovan Sessoms and central defender Harrison Bertos from last year’s draft.

Inter Miami - A-

Inter Miami brought in 5 players via the draft, and they were largely older players. I think this is a sign they want to fill out their roster depth, which was underwhelming despite winning MLS Cup. After winning, rosters tend to get more expensive.

Abdel Talabi and Kenan Hot are both players near the top of the charts for their respective positions. Talabi can reinforce the squad at RCB or split wide into more of a defensive RB if needed. Hot is an experienced MLS academy product who’s strong in multiple areas.

Alex Barger provides immediate depth at left back, and Jiana and Kissel both can offer scoring off the bench or in MLS Next Pro.

LA Galaxy - C

LA’s first mistake here was made in 2024 when they traded their first round pick for an additional international slot, along with 200K in GAM. Little did they know that would end up being a top 5 pick after the wheels came off in 2025. That kept them out of the first round entirely, but they did well enough with what they had.

They did pick up Palmer Bank, a solid left back from Stanford who is a good defender and competent if not outstanding on the ball. Left back has not been the easiest position for LA to fill, and current first teamers Julian Aude and John Nelson are below the MLS average.

Conlon is a basically average NCAA shot stopper and while he’s a decent distributor, that level of shot stopping is not likely to translate well to MLS.

Jaime Amaro is a possession heavy player who is more like a 10; he’s likely to be stashed for another year.

Toronto FC - B+

Toronto only had one pick, but it was a good one. Jackson Gilman is a Philadelphia product who can play in a number of roles along the back line. Toronto needs help along the back, so I expect Gilman to find his way onto the first team.

Toronto also holds the rights to Fletcher Bank, who plays as a left side wide attacking player. With Tyrese Spicer’s departure, there’s an opening that he might be able to fill.

New England Revolution - C-

The Revolution had two picks, and neither were the highest rated players. Schinieder Mimy is a decent enough left back, but the Revolution also hold the rights to Georgetown’s Eric Howard who plays the same position (and better). The Revolution are not so good that they can afford redundant picks.

Kyle McGowan is a solid wide forward, but not an outstanding one is any particular area. Ignatius Ganago’s departure creates an opening that he could claim. I am not convinced it will happen but it could.

The team also holds the rights to CJ Williams out of Boston College, a left side CB who has good on ball ability but is lacking as an individual defender.

San Jose Earthquakes - C

Bruce Arena is usually a good drafter, but he didn’t have a lot of opportunity to work with only a single pick. I think center forward was a bigger need, but outside of Jamar Ricketts San Jose doesn’t have a lot of left fullback depth. Jasinski seems like a solid well rounded player that won’t hurt the team, even if he’s not the most exciting pick.

CF Montreal - B-

CF Montreal had only 2 picks in this draft, but they are bolstered by having 3 picks from last year coming in as well. Neither of the two picks is all that impressive but Aidan Godinho does look like a well rounded midfielder. I don’t think he’s going to go pro straight away, though.

Tate Lorentz is a progressive minded player who progresses the ball well and projects as a winger or even a wing back at the next level. He doesn’t quite have the 1v1 ability or shooting frequency to really make a claim as a wide forward.

Arthur Duquenne was drafted last year and is a very creative and technically gifted left back from Clemson. Forwards Caden Grabfelder and Eli Conway round out the players whose rights they hold.

Austin FC - A+

Austin only had two picks, and not even particularly good ones. Still, they made them count. The first pick was Akron’s Stefan Dobrijevic, a 6’2” forward who primarily operated off the shoulder of a center forward. He’s an impressive chance creator and ball mover along with being a danger to score. He primarily operated on the left side of Akron’s attack, but is comfortable on both sides. There’s an outside chance he could contribute from the very beginning, especially if Owen Wolff moves inside in 2026.

Patrick Cayelli is a classic playmaker. He’s not the biggest player, but he has a great eye for a line breaking pass and can play strikers in very well. He will probably develop a more well rounded game if he’s going to operate in the midfield, but if he’s able to split out wide then he could function as a winger as well.

Both players are excellent value for their picks, and have a decent shot at making a first team impact.

Columbus Crew - C+

The Crew had two picks, and they picked very Crew players. Tarun Karumanchi, the midfielder from UCLA, is a usage heavy low risk passer who recycles possession and takes a shot every 5 90s. He’s not progressive, he’s definitely not creative, but he will not lose you the ball and he’ll fight to get it back. Not my favorite style of player but it’s worked for them in the past.

Heffess, meanwhile, is a bit more of a wild card. He’s happy to get up the field and get involved. He is at the top of the charts for both progressive passing and progressive carrying, and creates a large number of shots for a center back. He’s on the smaller side for a center back, but that won’t be an issue in Crew’s 3 CB lineup.

They also have the rights to Drew Kerr, a talented left back who plays for Duke and had some of the best chance creation stats in college soccer. They may still hold the rights to Zach Zengue, who they drafted in 2023. It’s not really clear what the MLS rules are on this. Zengue was my top wide forward in the data set, and put up a remarkable 1.05 xG+xA per 90.

Nashville SC - C

Nashville used their two picks to get players who can contribute in a lot of different areas. Max Miller is a fullback who can play either side and captained his Kentucky side for two years. He wasn’t great this season but was coming back from an injury that cost him his 2024 season. He’s got upside, but still isn’t the best pick at this position.

Charles-Emile Brunet was someone who received a decent amount of buzz prior to the draft. He raised his profile with SMU’s ACC Tournament run, and he’s definiteyl got bags of skill on the ball. The Montreal native struggles with physical play and defending, and that’s only going to be more of an issue as he moves up. He’s a good candidate to return to school for another season as he develops.

Nashville also holds the rights to Ethan Ballek, a forward out of South Carolina.

Seattle Sounders - D

The Sounders went to their backyard for their first pick, and grabbed Joe Dale. He played all over the right side and at center forward, and likely will continue as a forward at the next level. He has good shot volume numbers for his role, and if he can maintain that he could be useful at the MLS level.

Their second pick was Stockton Short out of Utah Tech. Although he is not actually short, he is the worst shot stopper selected. His 1.08 G/xG and 78.5% save rate are well under what would be expected, especially considering Short faced easier shots than all but a few keepers at the NCAA level.

The Sounders also have the rights to Trace Terry, a 6’2” center forward out of Bowling Green. He will be needed to fill in for Osaze De Rosario who has made the jump to the first team.

FC Cincinnati - B-

Cincinnati had just one pick, and late in the second round. They selected left back Ayoub Lajhar. The Huskies fullback put up nice progressive and creative numbers, while still being a contributor on the defensive side. It’s a decent pick for this late in the draft, and with the departure of Lukas Engel in the re-entry draft there might even be a spot for him on the team.

Philadelphia Union - F

No picks. You’re not too good for the draft, Philly.