The draft is finally behind us and it didn’t disappoint.  Plenty of trades, surprise picks, and omissions. Here are my grades for the draft. You really can’t grade a draft until after the season is over, but this is fun nonetheless.

My early prediction for rookie of the year is Tony Tchani, but secretly I hope its David Estrada.

San Jose Earthquakes (A)

Ike Opara       Wake Forest University/U-20    D
Michael Thomas       Notre Dame University    M
Justin Morrow       Notre Dame University    D/M
Steven Beitashour  San Diego State University    D/M
Andrew Hoxie       William and Mary University    F

San Jose gets the best draft award in my book. It isn’t the most exciting draft class but it is definitely a smart one.  Ike Opara was the best defender in the draft and under different circumstances he probably would have gone #1. Michael Thomas and Justin Morrow are good choices by the coaching staff. Thomas is a smart player and good at passing out of tight spaces. He also has a tremendous motor.  Morrow probably has an even better engine than Thomas and is non-stop up and down the flank.  Both are MLS ready and can fill positions that needed to be filled for San Jose. Andrew Hoxie is a big center forward who isn’t the fastest player but could still be ready to start by the first game. He has great timing and instincts that make him a dangerous striker. Steven Beitashour can play outside midfield or defender. He is very fast and adequately skilled. Although he isn’t a name that most are familiar with I watched him torch defenses in the Pac 10 pretty consistently.

Chicago Fire (A-)

Corben Bone    Wake Forest University        M
Kwame Watson-Siriboe    UConn            D
Drew Yates    University of Maryland        M
Steven Kinney    Elon University            D
Sean Johnson    Univ. of Central Florida/U-20    GK

Chicago drafted two MLS ready players in Corben Bone and Watson-Siriboe. Drew Yates will make or break this draft for Chicago. Yates has the skill but some question his ability to perform at the next level.  Johnson is a good 4th round pick up. He is still raw but has time to develop.

Philadelphia Union (A-)

Danny Mwanga    Oregon State University            F
Amobi Okugo    UCLA/U-18/U-20            M
Jack McInerney    Cobb Soccer Club/U-17        F
Toni Stahl    University of Connecticut    M
Kyle Nakazawa    UCLA                M/F
Brian Perk    UCLA                GK

Philly gets the award for the most exciting draft class. They didn’t win this draft because they picked too many projects when better players were available. The Union needs players that will jump in and help right away. Mwanga and Stahl are probably the most ready to start on an MLS team. Mwanga is the top forward in the draft and Stahl could have easily been a top 10 pick. Okugo still needs some grooming but could be a starter come mid season. Perk and McInerney might be a year or two away from contributing. Nakazawa is a real toss up. I see the Union getting 3 starters out this draft this season, and McInerney will come along faster than most think.  The club is investing in talent and I can apperciate that.

New York Red Bulls (B+)

Tony Tchani    University of Virginia            M
Austin daLuz    Wake Forest University            M
Tim Ream    Saint Louis University            D/M
Conor Chin    University of San Francisco    F
Irving Garcia    Univ. of California - Irvine    M/F

Offense, Offense, Offense. The Red Bulls made it clear that they want to score more goals this season. Tchani is a phenomenal pick for the Red Bulls. He is talented and athletic, and should contrbute right away. Austin daLuz is one of the best outside mids in the draft and a great crosser of the ball. Chinn and Garcia are questionable picks but I like both these players and I’m tipping them to be successful.  Ream is a good player that had a bad combine.

Los Angeles Galaxy (B)

Michael Stephens    UCLA            M

Only one pick in the first round and they got the guy they needed. Michael Stephens is a great midfielder out of UCLA that can play on the wings and centrally.  He will probably replace Beckham over the summer.

FC Dallas (B)

Zach Loyd    University of North Carolina    M
Andrew Wiedeman    University of California    F
Jason Yeisley    Penn State University        F
Eric Alexander    Indiana University        M
Dane Saintus    Southern Methodist University    M

I like this draft class. Zach Loyd is MLS ready and should slot in at right back. Wiedeman is a good forward that most overlooked because he had a poor combine. Yeisley and Alexander could make this the best class in the draft. Alexander is an attacking midfielder that displayed his class at the combine. Yeisley could have been one of the top forwards in the college game had he not been hampered by injuries.

Seattle Sounders FC (B)

David Estrada    UCLA                        F
Mike Seamon    Villanova University            M/F
Jamel Wallace    San Diego State University    M

This is a solid draft class because I rate Estrada and Seamon pretty highly. Estrada is a gifted player that can become a real difference maker in MLS. I think playing with a skilled team like Seattle will be a good enviornment for Estrada to develop. Seamon is a talented player but was held back a little by the quality of guys around him at Villanova. Seamon should develop surrounded by pros. Jamal Wallace is an atheletic and smart defender out of San Diego State. Between him and Cardenas (the more highly touted SDSU defender), I’d say Wallace is the better defender and has the leaping ability to overcome the size difference.

Colorado Rapids (B)

Andre Akpan    Harvard University        F
Ross LaBauex    University of Virginia        M
Chad Borak    CSUN                D
Chris Cutshaw    Bradley University        M/F

This is a tough draft to rate because the quality of Akpan is yet to be determined. Borak and Cutshaw might be the real story for the Rapids. Borak was one of the best outside backs at the combine and Cutshaw is a real talent that could be a sleeper pick. I think LaBauex will do well in this league. The Rapids did well with the picks they had.

Real Salt Lake (B-)

Collen Warner    University of Portland            M
Justin Davis    University of New Mexico    M/F
Chris Schuler    Creighton University            D
Kris Banghart    University of Denver            D

Real Salt Lake made two good moves in grabbing Collen Warner and Chris Schuler. Schuler isn’t the best center back in the draft but was a steal in the 3rd round. Warner’s combine performance shot him up the draft significantly. Justin Davis can play forward, midfield, or defense. He isn’t MLS ready in any of those positions but his versatilty should make him an asset to Real.

Houston Dynamo (B-)

David Walker    UCSB                M/F
Samuel Appiah    Boston University        M
Euan Holden    University of New Mexico    D

Didn’t have much to work with only late draft picks. Walker and Appiah both have great speed and could be transformed into role players. Euan Holden is Stuart Holden’s little brother.

Kansas City Wizards (C)

Teal Bunbury    University of Akron/CAN U-20    F
Olukorede Aiyegbusi    NC State University    D
Nick Cardenas    San Diego State University    D
Mauro Fuzetti    University of Michigan        M/F
Ofori Sarkodie    Indiana University        D

Striker Teal Bunbury is a great pick for the Wizards but maybe the only good pick.  Aiyegbusi didn’t demonstarte the skill necessary to be successful in MLS especially considering his size (5′6). Nick Cardenas is a big center back (6′5) that is dominate in the air both offensively and defensively.  Cardenas isn’t the smartest defender though and isn’t the fastest player either. Fuzetti had a dreadful combine but some teams did rate the player highly. Sarkodie really dropped in stock, but this might the guy that saves this draft for the Wizards.

Columbus Crew (C)

Dilly Duka    Rutgers/ U-20            M
Bright Dike    Notre Dame University        F
Kwaku Nyamekye    Harvard University        D
Othaniel Yanez    University of Louisville    M
Shaun Francis    Lindsey Wilson College        D

They should have done more with their two first round picks. Dilly Duka is a great player but it is arguable if he was the best pick at #8. I’m curious to see what Columbus sees in Bright Dike that would make them pick him up at #12. Nyamekye is great center back and was somewhat over shadowed by Akpan’s performance at Harvard. Nyameke is supposedly having a trial with Glasgow Rangers so this pick might have been for nothing.

Chivas USA (C-)

Blair Gavin    University of Akron/        M
Kevin Tangney    University of Maryland        D
Isaac Kissi    University of Dayton        M/F
Ben Zemanski    University of Akron        M
Chris Ross    Colgate University        M

Blair Gavin is a great pick up for Chivas.  He is a talented center midfielder that could take over for Marsch and Nagamura. Considering that Chivas only had one pick in the first two rounds, their draft potential was serverly limited.  Zemanski is a great pick up in the 3rd round. Kissi, Ross, and Tangney might be regretable picks.

New England Revolution (C-)

Zack Schilawski    Wake Forest University        F
Seth Sinovic    Creighton University        D
Zac Boggs    University of South Florida    M/F
Jason Griffiths    University of Kentucky        M/F
Adam Welch    Lehigh University        D

It’s hard to doubt Steve Nicol, so my grade is probably totally off. But considering the players available and the selections they made things don’t look so good for the Revs. Schilawski is a solid forward and the Revs might not have been able to get him at #25. Boggs and Sinovic aren’t bad picks but there were better players available. Griffiths and Welch are . . . interesting choices.

Toronto FC (D)

Zachary Herold    West Pines United Club/U-17    D
Nane Joseph    Old Dominion University            M

Toronto took this draft off apparently. They picked up a long term project in Zachary Herold and a very questionable selection in Nane Joseph. Toronto is probably looking abroad for reinforcements.

D.C. United (n/a)

Jordan Graye    University of North Carolina    D

They only had one pick and they went with a guy from their youth system. You can’t do much with one 4th round pick.

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