2017 MLL Draft Results and Analysis

Just over a week ago, the 2017 MLL collegiate draft took place during NCAA Championship Weekend. This was a big switch from the last several years when they drafted players before the college season. Each method has benefits, and each has its own issues. On top of that, it was held right next door the Gillette Stadium at Toby Keith’s Bar and Grill. I was a little hesitant about what to expect, but in all honesty. I loved it!

Especially in the early rounds, there were plenty of fans crowding up to the barrier separating the bar from where each of the teams had a table. Since all but two NCAA teams had finished their season, it meant the MLL could also bring in some of the top picks to have their name called in person. For these players, they could meet their teams, in some cases their new teammates, and then go sign autographs as professional lacrosse players.

The other aspect that I loved about the 2017 MLL Draft was actually seeing some college coaches in attendance. Most notably were Mike Daly from Brown and Chris Gabrielli from Providence College who made the short drive up from Long Island. It was especially great for someone like Gabrielli to be there as Jarrod Neumann had his name called. Neumann was one of Gabrielli’s early recruits after he took over the program at Providence and was a player he had developed into an All American and 2017 MLL draft pick. When his name was called, you could tell just how proud Gabrielli was. It’s moments like these that make having the draft a live event in front of as many fans as possible a great thing. Getting drafted to play in the MLL is a big deal. For players, for parents, for coaches, for NCAA fans, and for MLL fans.

Now into the draft itself. I won’t go pick by pick, and I won’t assign draft grades, either. Not that there is anything wrong with either of those things, but it’s just not something I like to do for a draft. And others do it already, and do it well.

For me, it’s about what were some of the trends that were going on, were there any surprise picks, or late round steals? Also, as all the dust settles, you can take a bigger look into what each team was really trying to do. First off, though. Let’s take a look at the 2017 MLL Draft by the numbers:

Players taken: 90
Colleges represented: 43
Divisions represented: 4 (DI (80), DII (5), DIII (4), MCLA (1))
Most picks from one school: 6 (Towson & Ohio State)
Most picks from one conference: 19 (ACC)
Position breakdown: Attack (22), Middie (26), FOGO (8), LSM (5), SSDM (9), Defense (17), Goalie (3)

Even though the ACC led the way with 19 picks, the Big Ten was not far behind with 18. That’s no surprise. What is a surprise is that the next highest would be all the way down to nine with the Patriot League. NCAA Lacrosse is top heavy with talent, but this really shows how disproportionate that is. I also LOVE that an MCLA player was drafted, but more on that later.

As you look at individual teams drafting, here is what you want to keep in mind. There tends to be a pattern. Early rounds are the picks to fill needs. Middle round are usually guys to take a chance on (injury or work concerns, lower tier programs, etc.). Late rounds are often looking for total steals or practice players from either local colleges, or players from the area that may be returning home. Getting quality talent into practice reliably helps the team, and helps those players get a real shot at evaluation from coaches and GMs in the hopes of making the game day roster. If you have a late pick, taking a local DIII stud over a #4 middie from a Big Ten schools sometimes just makes sense – Stephen Berger, Kyle Hartzell, Mike Stone and many others prove this point historically.

On to the teams!

2017 MLL Draft Results/Analysis

Atlanta

I would really have to do some in depth research to see if a team had every grabbed a FOGO as their top pick. I really do like this draft class, though. They spread their picks out across the field which allows them to try to reinforce each position, rather than try out 6 attackmen. The Blaze are on the edge of making a big jump in the league, so I do like this approach for them. Osika is an MLL player without question. Tom Moore was a big time steal and a fantastic pick. I also love that they picked up a local MCLA. He’s from the school they play in, and from that town originally as well. They noticed him because the Blaze actually scrimmaged Kennesaw in the offseason, so he’s a little more proven than most. He won’t be replacing Adam Ghitleman, but he’s a great pick to work into the fold somehow. Adding in Jozokos as one of the best SSDMs on the board really beefs up their defense with guys who can be a threat each time they touch the ball.

Boston

While I personally would have loved to see Dylan Molloy go to Boston, he was off the table at Boston’s second overall pick. Perkovic can do wonders for Boston, though. He has been an MLL target since his freshman year of college. He has the size to play in the league and a shot which makes him an instant two point threat. Running on a line with Max Siebald immediately means he either gets a short stick every time, or teams will have to put a SSDM on an attackman. This should help stretch the defense out even more, giving Will Manny and Davey Emala plenty of room to cut underneath the defense and make some crease plays.

Charlotte

Holy Towson, Batman! This reminds me of how Charlotte loaded up on Loyola players after their championship run in 2012. Still not a bad move, though. They grabbed two parts of one of the best defenses in the country and add in some guy named Matt Rambo who just won national championship and Tewaraaton award. No big deal. They also grabbed Cal Dearth from BU, who was the first ever pick from that young program, and Cole Johnson from Army. Rambo, Dearth, and Johnson probably won’t all see the field at the same time given who Charlotte already has, but those are three great options.

Chesapeake

Chesapeake having this many picks is almost unfair. And they did not sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity. What really jumps out at me is grabbing both Ben Williams and Stephen Kelly as FOGOs. Both are great options. This past weekend, they went with Williams who took all 32 draws in his debut, winning 23 of them. Not too bad. Not too bad at all. They also did a fantastic job with their attack picks. Heacock, Byrne, Aponte, and French all can see time (at worst) on this team. With the Bayhawks grabbing a few more NLL guys than normal, there is a need to fill there. Also grabbing two Navy Longpoles should fit in great for the team that plays in Annapolis.

Denver

Denver traded a ton of picks to move up and pick Currier, and that was probably a great move. Currier has been the subject of non-stop argument on social media as being a 1st team AA snub and a Tewaaraton finalist snub. Denver agrees. They obviously thought very highly of him and he was able to join the team right away. The defending champs were already a very young team and I honestly would have expected them to take a few more defenders. Their priority was good, though. Currier is a two way guy and Kemp is one of the best LSMs in the country.

Florida

Florida is also in rebuilding mode under new coach Tom Mariano. Molloy as the top overall pick was a great move, but drafting his brother with their second pick was almost as sure as death and taxes. When you run a team and your brother is available at a position you need, he happens to play both middie and attack, and was a first team all-American? Yup. Then, you pull in his teammate, fellow 1st team all-American, and Florida native Salcido? Yes times 1,0000. There is not a single pick Florida made that gives me any question marks. They are solid grabs across the board and could all contribute if given the chance.

New York

The one thing New York does not need is more options on offense. So while they did not have a ton of picks, and none were very high, they did what they needed and shored up their defense. Pifani and Firman are both MLL-ready defenders. Adding in a few options for SSDM is also something that will give them more depth if needed. Their SSDM corps is strong now, but for practices and backup, they need options. The biggest gap for me here is no FOGO was taken. With Gurenlian retiring after this season, that is a huge whole to fill. There will wither be a trade in their future, or they are go to try for Trevor Baptiste next year and hope someone can help them fill that NCAA gap.

Ohio

Ohio’s pretty solid on defense, but then again, they’re also solid on offense. Before we even get into their string of Buckeye picks, they grabbed several solid players. Cannizaro will be an immediate contributor and should fit their offense well. Seider is not a great immediate fit based on how Towson ran their offense, but once he adjusts (which should not take long), he’ll be dangerous. Fields and Calisto will have their work cut out to crack that long pole lineup, but this team has made their name based on players doing just that. I also really like the pick of Reisman. During the draft, Reisman was busy leading Limestone to the DII championship and earned Most Outstanding Player honors as a FOGO. You could say he’s good.

Rochester

Rochester had no need to look at defenders. Barring injuries, they love who they have back there, but options on the offensive end are what’s needed. It’s still Jordan Wolf’s show, but having players that fit well in their system are actually somewhat hard to come by. Eric Fannell should be productive for the Ratz, but I am more excited about Zed Williams. He can play both middie and attack, has the box background Coach Soudan gravitates towards, and they even picked up his High School teammate from Hobart. It never hurts that both of them are originally from down the Thruway in Silver Creek. As an RIT grad, I of course love the pick of Ryan Lee. They have tried out RIT guys before and none of them have stuck, unless you consider Jordan MacIntosh, who has worked out pretty well so far. Yeah, he’s OK. Overall, the Rattlers have a ton of options, so it will be interesting to see who can work their way into the active roster.