Major League Lacrosse held their draft Saturday night at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on the heels of their rebranding initiative and an open letter to the public from MLL commissioner Sandy Brown. The MLL Draft consisted of 63 picks spread across seven rounds.
One notable storyline from the night included Towson FOGO standout Alex Woodall going with the first pick to the Ohio Machine. What is interesting about this pick is that it reflects just how valuable the faceoff position has become over the years. Teams realize that having all of those extra possessions throughout the course of the game can spell success for any organization.
The fact that the Machine went with Woodall with the first pick over Pat Spencer shows just how valuable front offices think this position is.
However, there were certainly other factors that played into the Machine (and the next five picks) passing on Spencer, who many consider to be the best offensive player from this year’s draft.
First and foremost is the fact that Spencer will almost certainly be drafted by the Premier Lacrosse League as well. The PLL certainly has garnered a lot of hype and favorable press coverage heading into their inaugural season, and are quickly building a reputation for being a player-friendly league despite not having played any games yet.
It has yet to be determined which league Spencer will play in, but the risk that Spencer may choose the PLL could have caused teams to pass on him and avoid the risk.
Of course, that is if Spencer decides to play in any professional league at all next year. Rumors have been circulating that Spencer may sit out and decide to try to play a year of collegiate basketball.
According to a press release by the MLL, if Spencer did sit out his first year in the league, the following would happen:
“The team that drafts him must add him to their protected roster at the end of the season, in order to retain his rights for the following year. Each team may have twenty-three players on their protected roster, unless an expansion occurs. If Spencer is not protected, he will be entered into the 2,500+ person player-pool.”
Major League Lacrosse Press Release
Here are the first-round results from tonight:
