<strong>Pick</strong>

<strong>Team</strong>

<strong>1</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Orlando_City_2014.svg_.png" style="width: 55px; height: 63px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Joshua Yaro (D)</strong><strong>Georgetown</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Consensus seems to be that it will take one hell of a GA offer to get Yaro out of school and into MLS, and that he’d be worth it. Yaro is probably the best all-around athlete of anyone on this list, but he’s also a smart, skilled player. That’s a rare combination for a center back, and should be irresistible to an Orlando team that’s still a little thin at that position. (Some think Yaro's professional future lies at holding mid, however.)</p>

<strong>2</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/NYCFC_Badge.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><p><strong>Fatai Alashe</strong><strong>(MF)</strong></p><strong>Michigan State</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">We’ve heard that Real Salt Lake are interested in Alashe, which makes all the sense in the world; what other team places such a premium on defensive midfielders? Answer: Any team, anywhere, that is coached by Jason Kreis. We present New York City FC, which has put together a very solid backline but still lacks someone to chase down the ball in midfield. Would it be a reach? Possibly. But how can you not think that Kreis is considering it?</p>

<strong>3</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/1616_200x200_0.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Cyle Larin (F)</strong><strong>Connecticut / GA</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">This pick is predicated on two assumptions. The first is that Larin will sign a GA deal and that so does Joshua Yaro (less likely). But if Larin is sitting at No. 3, a Montreal club devoid of Marco Di Vaio is absolutely taking the talented Canadian striker. Start praying to the soccer gods that Larin’s still available at this pick, Impact fans.</p>

<strong>4</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/SJEQ_Logo_200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Robert Kristo (F)</strong><strong>St. Louis</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Are you guys sad that the Bash Brothers got broken up? Bummed about seeing the Goonies say “die”? Robert Kristo has the power to change that. He definitely has the strength needed to hold up the ball for, say, Chris Wondolowski. But he also has the handles to create his own shot and the ability to finish them.</p>

<strong>5</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/1581_200x200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Boyd Okwuonu (D)</strong><strong>North Carolina</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Okwuonu’s Homegrown rights could still be claimed by FC Dallas, but seeing him get an invite to the Combine is not an encouraging sign. Portland is the kind of team that values mobile center backs, so Okwuonu fits the mold, but they also have their USL PRO team available to give him minutes in the likely event that there aren’t any available on the first team.</p>

<strong>6</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/prp-toronto_150.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Skylar Thomas (D)</strong><strong>Syracuse</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Center back Doneil Henry is probably not going to be back in Toronto in 2015, so taking a young, athletic, Canadian center back is not the worst thing in the world you could do here. Thomas was part of arguably the best defense in college soccer this year, so as long as he does well at the Combine, this seems like the right fit.</p>

<strong>7</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/1207_200x200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Cristian Roldan (M)</strong><strong>Washington / GA</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">If MLS can float a palatable GA deal to Roldan, he’s a no-brainer for a Chicago team that scored the third-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference this year. You could say that Roldan plays the same position as Harry Shipp, but that wouldn’t be quite right, because Roldan is super-versatile and can create at basically any position in midfield.</p>

<strong>8</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/1897_200x200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Tim Parker (D)</strong><strong>St. John's</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">One MLS scout we talked to said that Houston’s center-back stable was exceptionally weak. Discuss amongst yourselves. Less debatable is that the stable is thin. Adding Tim Parker is one of the few truly good, pure central-defense options in this draft, an excellent athlete and one-on-one defender who’s a beast in the air.</p>

<strong>9</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/prp-toronto_150.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><div class="compHdr"><strong>Tyler Miller (GK)</strong><strong>Northwestern</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">So, yes, TFC have goalkeepers. But Tyler Miller is still worth the pick. Think about how good the goalkeeping was in the Big Ten this year – and, for reference, a goalkeeper who wasn’t even awarded conference honors just got signed by Freiburg – and then think about how Tyler Miller was named the best of the bunch. He’s got the size, the reflexes, and the presence to marshal his defense. You can’t convince us this is not a good pick. (Though we’re eager to see you try.)</p></div>

<b>10</b>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/sportingkc_logo.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Khiry Shelton (F)</strong><strong>Oregon State</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">With Dom Dwyer and Claudio Bieler up top, Sporting probably don’t have a ton of worries at striker. But the only other forward on the roster is Jacob Peterson, and with all due respect to him, that’s not enough backup to get through an entire MLS season. Shelton has everything you want in a striker – speed, strength, handles – plus the ability to pass.</p>

<strong>11</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/prp-toronto_150.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Nick Besler (M)</strong><strong>Notre Dame</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">At this point, TFC’s going to be playing with house money. Is Nick Besler the best fit in the world? Maybe, maybe not. But having a tidy defensive midfielder frees up the talent in the Reds’ midfield, and if it doesn’t pan out… well, after all, they do have two other first-rounders in their stable.</p>

<strong>12</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/sportingkc_logo.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Otis Earle (D)</strong><strong>UC Riverside</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">We’ve heard that SKC have liked what they’ve seen out of Earle, and eventually Seth Sinovic is going to get either old or injured. Getting quality left back backup is a good move while Sporting have their second pick here.</p>

<strong>13</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/1708.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Eric Bird (M)</strong><strong>Virginia</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">The way we see Vancouver’s roster right now, there’s a big gap between the back line and the midfield. If we’re reading that right – and we think we are – then Bird is just the right player for the Whitecaps. He probably projects more as a guy winning the ball in midfield at the next level, but his outlet passing is quite good, as well. As a linkup guy, we think he’d excel.</p>

<strong>14</strong>

<img alt="" src="http://www.thecrew.com/sites/columbus/files/Columbus%20Crew%20Soccer%20Club%202015%20Badge.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Leo Stolz (M)</strong><strong>UCLA</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">What Columbus really needs is center backs, and there will still be some available at this pick. On the other hand, how has Leo Stolz fallen this far? The German midfielder can spray the ball around better than basically any midfielder available in this draft, and would be a crowd favorite in Columbus. Remember, not for nothing is their supporters’ section called the <em>Nordecke</em>. Best value pick for the Crew by far.</p>

<strong>15</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/436_200x200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Connor Hallisey (M)</strong><strong>Cal</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">The Rapids need some width in their midfield, and while Hallisey is not a true winger, he’s deadly coming inside from a wide position, as indicated by his nine goals and 12 assists this year. He fills a need and is spectacular value for this late in the draft.</p>

<strong>16</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/1899_200x200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Andy Thoma (D)</strong><strong>Washington</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Thoma doesn’t really fit the profile for Real Salt Lake, because as much as they rely on their fullbacks, there isn’t a perpetual green light to get forward, where Thoma is at his best. The Washington left back was a New Mexico state track champion in high school, and he has one setting for speed on the field: Turbo. RSL do have some luxury in terms of development time, though, and his athletic tools mean that if he can figure out the final ball and the timing of his forays forward, then this is a great pickup.</p>

<strong>17</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/dc_150.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Oumar Ballo (D)</strong><strong>UMBC</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Let’s stay on left backs for a moment, because it’s the most obvious spot on the field where United could stand for an upgrade. Ballo is a local kid (well, he went to school in Baltimore County, but close enough) and is an absolute freak athlete who loves nothing more than to get forward and create havoc. He can also defend one-on-one, which is a nice perk in an attacking fullback out of college.</p>

<strong>18</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/prp-newyork_150.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Anthony Manning (D)</strong><strong>St. Louis</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">In the absence of Tim Parker at this spot, the Red Bulls will have to try and fill their centerback void with someone else. Filling it with someone even bigger than Jamison Olave? Oh baby. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Manning presided over a defense that allowed 17 goals in 20 games this season, and also knocked in five goals just for fun.</p>

<strong>19</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/3500_200x200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Alex Bono (GK)</strong><strong>Syracuse</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Going into the 2015 season with Stefan Frei as the only goalkeeper on Seattle’s roster? Not going to happen. It’s likely that, if Bono gets signed via Generation adidas, he doesn’t fall this far. (<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/11/20/mock-draft-v10-mls-campus-peers-crystal-ball-two-months-out" target="_blank">Not that we ever make mistakes about stuff like this, or anything</a>.) But if both of those things do happen, Bono better start packing his bags for Seattle. Behind Tyler Miller, Bono will probably be the best goalkeeper available to teams in this draft.</p>

<strong>20</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/sportingkc_logo.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Andrew Wolverton (GK)</strong><strong>Penn State</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">Inspired by Seattle and now definitely playing with house money on their third pick of the first round, Sporting KC pick up Wolverton to back up Jon Kempin. The biggest knock against Wolverton is that he doesn’t marshal his line very well, but when you have Matt Besler playing in front of you it becomes less of an issue. If Kempin goes down, it’ll be nice for SKC to have a 6-foot-6 shotstopper to come in for him.</p>

<strong>21</strong>

<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/1230_200x200.png" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;">

<div class="compHdr"><strong>Saad Abdul-Salaam (D)</strong><strong>Akron</strong></div><p style="text-align: left;">The most conspicuous hole in the Galaxy’s lineup is roughly the size and shape of Landon Donovan, but there’s no way you come close to replacing a player like that in this draft, particularly with the 21st pick. LA go for the best value on the board and pick up the attacking, rangy right back with the dribbling skill of a winger.</p>