TFC and the MLS SuperDraft: What you need to know
All eyes will be on Toronto FC at the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
By virtue of their last-place finish this season, TFC holds the first overall pick in this week's draft.
Who will the Reds select with the No. 1 pick? Will they trade it away? Who are the top prospects in this year's draft class? And what's the Generation adidas program all about?
Here's what you need to know about the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
When is the MLS SuperDraft?
The 2024 MLS SuperDraft takes place on Dec. 19 at 3:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the SuperDraft live on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass.
To follow the MLS SuperDraft via the league's live tracker, CLICK HERE.
Close to 400 players are eligible for selection during Tuesday's three-round draft. To see the full list of players, CLICK HERE.
Is there an MLS Combine?
Coaches and GMs from across the league attended the MLS College Showcase from Dec. 6-9 in Phoenix. The closed-door event gave MLS clubs a chance to evaluate 44 top college prospects, including players with remaining NCAA eligibility.
How many picks does TFC have?
By virtue of its last-place finish in 2023, Toronto FC has the No. 1 overall pick in this week's MLS SuperDraft.
Toronto also has picks in the second round (No. 30 overall) and third round (No. 59 and 85th).
Will the Reds use the No. 1 pick or trade it?
TFC Republic posed that exact question to GM Jason Hernandez last week when he spoke to reporters.
Things can change between now and Tuesday's event, of course. But Hernandez was talking like someone who planned to use Toronto's No. 1 selection on an NCAA player, rather than trade it away.
“Recognizing that we have the number one pick in the draft, we've put a lot of time and energy and resources really pinning that down," Hernandez said.
"[We feel] like we've done a really comprehensive assessment as to the opportunity, the prospects out there and who would be the best fit and the best addition to our club. So, we've kind of gone full steam ahead, such that we're gonna utilize the first pick, and it'll be someone that's going to help us and not only now but for years to come.”
Who will likely go No. 1 in this year's draft?
There isn't a consensus No. 1, but don't be surprised if TFC selects Kimani Stewart-Baynes, a forward/winger from the University of Maryland who was named the Big Ten freshman of the year for 2023. The native of Toronto scored three goals and tallied seven assists this season.
Because Stewart-Baynes is Canadian he wouldn't take up an international spot on TFC's roster. He also wouldn't count against the salary cap as he has signed a Generation adidas contract (more on that later). Stewart-Baynes previously played for Vaughan Soccer Club under Patrice Gheisar, the current coach of Halifax Wanderers FC of the CPL.
Other players who could catch TFC's eye are Georgetown forward Jacob Murrell, Washington centre back Nate Jones, Louisville defender Josh Jones, Canadian forward Marcus Caldeira (West Virginia) and Clemson defender Pape Mar Boye.
“I don't see it as a trend in this draft class to say there's a bunch of strikers that you need to get your hands on or a bunch of centre backs to get your hands on. I would say that it feels as though the talent within the draft is spread pretty systematically, pretty evenly across defensive midfield and the striker position,” Jason Hernandez said.
Are there gems to be found beyond the first round?
The quality of available players tends to drop off rather quickly after the first two dozen picks. It also has to be said that the SuperDraft isn't what it once was in terms of having a major impact on how teams can rebuild their roster, especially with the rise of the youth academy system in MLS over the last few years.
“I think the days in which you can get full international-level players out of the college draft, it feels like those days are fewer and farther between,” Jason Hernandez said.
“Guys like Taylor Twellman, Clint Dempsey, Sacha Kljestan; guys who end up in and around the national team; guys who end up in and around [the MLS] Best XI; guys who have international opportunities. What I would say is those seem to be the outliers more so now than in the past when there was almost like a guarantee that there was going to be someone coming out of the top five [of the draft] who was really impactful.”
Still, the MLS SuperDraft can be a useful tool that doesn't cost MLS teams anything - they haven't poured a single dime to cover the cost of NCAA players' development up until this point.
Also, there are always gems to be found at the MLS SuperDraft. Chris Wondolowski was overlooked in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, but the Chico State University product was then selected by San Jose in the fourth round of the MLS Supplemental Draft that same year. Wondolowski went on to become the all-time top scorer in MLS.
Other notable players who didn't get picked early at the draft but went on to have fairly successful MLS careers include Jonathan Bornstein (37th overall, 2006), Sean Johnson (51st, 2010), Aaron Long (36th, 2014), Luis Robles (50th overall, 2007).
What is Generation adidas?
Generation adidas is a program launched by MLS in conjunction with adidas. It allows top collegiate underclassmen and youth national team players to sign contracts with MLS, thus making themselves available in the draft. Generation adidas players are especially attractive draft options because they do not count against the league’s salary cap. Generation adidas players also usually earn a much higher salary than the league minimum, so there is extra incentive for non-seniors to leave school early in order to pursue pro careers.
As you can imagine, Generation adidas players tend to get picked early in the draft – every No. 1 pick in the draft since 2003 has been a Generation adidas product, including Canadian forward Cyle Larin in 2015, who went on to be named MLS rookie of the year. Other former Generation adidas players include fellow Canadian internationals Tajon Buchanan (No. 9, 2019), Richie Laryea (No. 7, 2016), Dayne St. Clair (No. 7, 2019) and Moïse Bombito (No. 3, 2023).
To read the list of Generation adidas players, CLICK HERE.
Are there any changes to this year’s MLS SuperDraft?
One notable difference is that the SuperDraft has been expanded. MLS teams can select college sophomores and juniors, in addition to seniors and Generation adidas signings, even if those players intend to remain in school for another year or two.
A selected player who goes back to college or remains unsigned will have their MLS rights held by the drafting club for approximately two years following the SuperDraft. While such players can go back to school, they will not be draft-eligible in the future.
Previously, only players who were collegiate seniors, along with Generation adidas signings, were eligible to be drafted, so this significantly widened the draft pool. NCAA underclassmen will also still be able to sign Generation adidas contracts.
“The idea that now there's a larger pool to select from certainly kind of opens your eyes as to what the different possibilities are when [the draft is] extended to the underclassmen. … A little bit of the risk assessment and the cost benefit as far as what you do with the pick, I think that's probably the challenge that all MLS clubs are facing now,” Jason Hernandez said.
Do all drafted players sign with MLS teams?
Of the 75 players selected in the 2022 SuperDraft, only 28 were signed by MLS teams — and most of them were first-round picks. In last year's SuperDraft, it was 30 out of 87 (34 per cent).
Most of the players who didn't sign with their respective senior teams ended up in MLS NEXT Pro, the CPL or other lower leagues. Forward Hamady Diop (Clemson) was selected first overall by Charlotte FC, but he only made three MLS appearances in 2023 and was sent on loan to their affiliate club in MLS NEXT Pro.
Some players who come out of the NCAA game simply aren't ready to go straight into MLS. By spending some time in MLS NEXT Pro, those players have the chance to see regular playing time and gain some valuable professional experience that can help their personal development.
Goalkeeper Luka Gavran (St. John’s University) was picked by Toronto during the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for TFC 2 in MLS Next Pro that same year and played a big role in helping the Young Reds make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Gavran, a native of Hamilton, Ont., was signed to an MLS contract by TFC this summer.
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Has TFC had much success at the draft?
It's been a mixed bag for the Reds, to be honest. There's been far more misses than hits, but TFC have struck gold at the draft a few times.
As an expansion team coming into the league, Toronto selected midfielder Maurice Edu (University of Maryland) with the No. 1 pick at the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. Edu scored four goals and tallied an assist in 25 regular season games and was named the MLS rookie of the year. In the summer of 2008, TFC sold him to Scottish club Glasgow Rangers.
With the 13th overall pick in 2009, the Reds selected goalkeeper Stefan Frei (University of California), who played five seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Seattle Sounders prior to the 2014 MLS campaign. Frei, 36, went on to win two MLS Cups with Seattle and is still considered one of the league's best goalkeepers.
Defender Nick Hagglund (Xavier University) was taken 10th overall by TFC at the 2014 draft. Hagglund was a key member of the TFC side that reached back-to-back MLS Cup finals and played in 98 regular season and playoff games across five seasons before being traded to FC Cincinnati in 2019.
In 2015, TFC picked goalkeeper Alex Bono (Syracuse) with the No. 6 selection. Bono, of course, helped TFC win the MLS Cup in 2017 and became the club's all-time leader in clean sheets (35), wins (67), appearances (157) and starts (154) for a goalkeeper in all competitions before signing with D.C. United last week.
In last year's draft, Toronto used the 32nd overall pick on Penn State defender Jalen Watson, who signed with TFC 2 before being released by the club at the end of this season. TFC’s other draft pick, Western Michigan forward Charlie Sharp, opted to go back to school and ended up being the top scorer in all of NCAA Division 1 men's soccer with 20 goals, while also tallying a career-best 11 assists.
Sharp, who went 61st in the draft, was also named a finalist for the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy which honours the top NCAA soccer player. Even though Sharp didn't sign a pro contract after being drafted, the Reds will retain his MLS rights through Dec. 31, 2024.
“Charlie, obviously, was someone that we identified early last year and was able to select him and still retain his rights from an MLS perspective. We've had conversations with Charlie to date and he had some time where he got to see us… and train a little bit, so he knows very well what we're about and the project we have moving forward. We're gonna continue to have conversations with Charlie over this next stretch here to see how it unfolds,” Jason Hernandez said.
(Top photo courtesy of the University of Maryland)
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