Real Salt Lake traded down in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday and still got the player they wanted – along with allocation money.
About to pick Boyd Okwuonu, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound defender from the University of North Carolina, with the 16th pick, RSL's management was approached by Seattle Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey – who was, until the end of 2014, RSL's longtime GM.
Lagerwey offered to trade his 27th pick for Salt Lake's 16th pick, along with allocation money.
As a result, the Sounders took midfielder Cristian Roldan, and RSL still got Okwuonu along with that extra money with their only pick on the first day of the draft.
“He's a very, very good player,” RSL coach Jeff Cassar told MLSsoccer.com. “He's exactly the guy we wanted.
“He played on all the levels of the youth national teams. He's a versatile player who can play right back or center back in a pinch. He's got strong character, with leadership. We couldn't be happier.”
In a team statement, Okwuono expressed how “excited” he was to be drafted by the Claret-and-Cobalt.
“I'm thankful for the team to give me the opportunity to prove myself. There are a lot of good guys I can learn from," he said.
Okwuono is also familiar with the Salt Lake area; his brother, William, played football for Weber State University in Ogden, about 45 miles north of Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. And he's familiar with Real Salt Lake.
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“I've tracked them for so long,” he said, “and it's always been a dream for me to play for them. It really is a dream come true for me."
Okwuonu was a member of the US U-14, U-15, U-17 and U-18 national teams; he roomed with current RSL midfielder Luis Gil on the U-17 squad. He was a four-year starter for UNC, a three-time all-Athletic Coast Conference selection, a two-time NSCAA All-America second-team pick and was the 2013 ACC Defender of the Year.
Okwuonu, 21, is expected to join RSL’s new USL PRO team, the Real Monarchs, this season.
Real Salt Lake have two picks in the third and fourth rounds of the SuperDraft, 57th and 77th overall, which will take place on Tuesday via conference call.
