2018 MLS SuperDraft Rewind: Blackmon Leads 66 PDL Alums Selected

For a fifth-consecutive season, at least 50 Premier Development League alums were selected in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, as 66 players selected boasted playing time in the league.

Leading all PDL selections was Burlingame Dragons and Pacific University defender Tristan Blackmon, who was selected third overall by Los Angeles FC as one of the team’s first two draft selections in its history. Blackmon’s selection started a run of PDL alums going off the board, with another three alums selected in the following three picks.

“We’re so proud of each of the PDL alums selected in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft,” said PDL Co-Director Chris Madden. “The PDL is meant to be the home of future professionals and a place where they can develop their games and reach the next level, and with the incredible amount of PDL experience represented among the picks, it is clear that we succeeded again in 2017. We wish our alums all the best at the professional level and look forward to watching them develop even further.”

RELATED: PDL STANDOUTS HIGHLIGHT 2018 MLS SUPERDRAFT

The early selections were just the beginning for PDL alums at the 2018 SuperDraft, as a total of 18 players with PDL experience were selected in each of the first and second rounds for a total of 36 on day one of the draft. PDL alums made up 14 of the last 15 picks of the first round, including a run of nine straight to end the initial 23 selections. Three teams selected multiple PDL alums in the first round, including Michigan Bucks teammates Francis Atuahene and Ema Twumasi both being selected by FC Dallas. The Chicago Fire also took two alums in Carolina Dynamo forward Jon Bakero and Reading United AC midfielder Mo Adams, as did Minnesota United FC with Seacoast United Phantoms defender Wyatt Omsberg and D.C. United U23 defender Carter Manley.

The selections in the third and fourth round continued to raise the number of PDL alums selected, with another 16 being picked in round three’s 19 picks and 14 being taken in round four’s 16 selections. In total, 66 PDL alums came off the board over the draft’s 81 picks made, eclipsing 81 percent of all selections boasting PDL experience and raising the total number of PDL alums selected since 2010 to 419.

2018 MLS SUPERDRAFT

FIRST ROUND

(Overall Pick No. – Name – Position – College – MLS team)

3. – Tristan Blackmon – D – Pacific – Burlingame Dragons FC – Los Angeles FC
4. – Francis Atuahene – F – Michigan – Michigan Bucks – FC Dallas
5. – Jon Bakero – F – Wake Forest – Carolina Dynamo – Chicago Fire
6. – Chris Mueller – F – Wisconsin – Chicago FC United – Orlando City SC
9. – Mark Segbers – D – Wisconsin – Chicago FC United – New England Revolution
10. – Mo Adams – M – Syracuse – Reading United AC – Chicago Fire
11. – Ema Twumasi – F – Wake Forest – GPS Portland Phoenix – FC Dallas
12. – Paul Marie – M – Florida International – Reading United AC - San Jose Earthquakes
13. – Eric Dick – GK – Butler – OKC Energy FC U23 - Sporting Kansas City
15. – Wyatt Omsberg – D – Dartmouth – Seacoast United Phantoms – Minnesota United FC
16. – Brian White – F – Duke University – New York Red Bulls U23 – New York Red Bulls
17. – Justin Fiddes – D – Washington – Southern California Surf – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
18. – Graham Smith – M – Denver – Colorado Rapids U23 – Sporting Kansas City
19. – Jeff Caldwell – GK – Virginia – Colorado Rapids U23 – New York City FC
20. – Michael Nelson – GK – SMU – OKC Energy FC U23 – Houston Dynamo
21. – Ben Lundgard – GK – Virginia Tech – New York Red Bulls U23 – Columbus Crew SC
22. – Alex Roldan – M – Seattle – Washington Crossfire – Seattle Sounders FC
23. – Carter Manley – D – Duke – D.C. United U23 – Minnesota United FC

SECOND ROUND

(Overall Pick No. – Name – Position – College – MLS team)

25. – Alan Winn – F – North Carolina – Tobacco Road FC – Colorado Rapids
26. – Lucas Stauffer – D – Creighton – Des Moines Menace – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
27. – Frandtzy Pierrot – F – Coastal Carolina – Reading United AC – Colorado Rapids
29. – Mauro Cichero – F – SMU – OKC Energy FC U23 – FC Dallas
30. – Danny Musovski – F – UNLV – FC Tucson – San Jose Earthquakes
31. – Niko de Vera – D – Akron – Portland Timbers U-23s – New York Red Bulls
32. – Edward Opoku – M – Virginia – AC Connecticut – Columbus Crew SC
33. – Ricky Lopez-Espin – F – Creighton – Tampa Bay Rowdies U23 – Real Salt Lake
34. – Chris Lema – M – Georgetown – New York Red Bulls U23 – FC Dallas
35. – Mohamed Thiaw – F – Louisville – Portland Timbers U-23s – San Jose Earthquakes
38. – Diego Campos – M – Clemson – SIMA Aguilas – Chicago Fire
39. – Tom Barlow – F – Wisconsin – Chicago FC United – New York Red Bulls
40. – Drew Skundrich – M – Stanford – Burlingame Dragons FC – LA Galaxy
42. – AJ Patterson – D – Wright State – Southwest Florida Adrenaline – New York City FC
43. – Mac Steeves – F – Providence – FC Boston – Houston Dynamo
44. – Jake Rozhansky – M – Maryland – D.C. United U23 – Columbus Crew SC
45. – Markus Fjortoft – F – Duke – New York Red Bulls U23 – Seattle Sounders FC
46. – Drew Shepherd – GK – Western Michigan – Michigan Bucks – Toronto FC 

THIRD ROUND

(Overall Pick No. – Name – Position – College – MLS team)

47. - Jordan Jones - F - Oregon State - Lane United FC - Los Angeles FC
48. - Nate Shultz - D - Akron - Portland Timbers U23 - LA Galaxy
49. - Elliot Collier - F - Loyola - Michigan Bucks/Chicago FC United - Chicago Fire
50. - Thomas Olsen - GK - San Diego - FC Tucson - Colorado Rapids
53. - Ken Krolicki - M - Michigan State - KW United FC - Montreal Impact
54. - Mike Catalano - M - Wisconsin - Chicago FC United - Philadelphia Union
55. - Aidan Apodaca - F - Cal Baptist - Southern California Seahorses - Philadelphia Union
57. - Amer Sasivarevic - M - Grand Canyon - Lane United FC - FC Dallas
58. - Kevin Partida - M - UNLV - FC Tucson - San Jose Earthquakes
59. - Pablo Aguilar - M - Virginia - Reading United AC - Houston Dynamo
61. - Caleb Duvernay - D - N.C. State - North Carolina FC U23 - Portland Timbers
62. - Cory Brown - D - Xavier - Michigan Bucks - Vancouver Whitecaps
63. - Timmy Mueller - F - Oregon State - Portland Timbers U23 - Portland Timbers
66. - Sheldon Sullivan - D - Virginia - Reading United AC - Houston Dynamo
67. - Luis Argudo - M - Wake Forest - Carolina Dynamo - Houston Dynamo
69. - Andre Morrison - D - Hartford - Long Island Rough Riders - Toronto FC

FOURTH ROUND

(Overall Pick No. – Name – Position – College – MLS team)

70. - Paul Christensen - GK - Portland - Sounders FC U23 - Atlanta United FC
71. - Afonso Pinheiro - F - Albany - FC Tucson - D.C. United
72. - Brian Iloski - F - UCLA - San Diego Zest FC - Colorado Rapids
74. - Rafael Andrade Santos - M - VCU - SIMA Aguilas - D.C. United
75. - Will Bagrou - F - Mercer - Sounders FC U23 - Sporting Kansas City
77. - Matt Danilack - M - Dartmouth - GPS Portland Phoenix - Philadelphia Union
80. - Noah Franke - D - Creighton - Tampa Bay Rowdies U23 - FC Dallas
82. - Wilfred Williams - D - Oakland - Myrtle Beach Mutiny - Sporting Kansas City
83. - Jared Stroud - F - Colgate - New York Red Bulls U23 - New York Red Bulls
84. - Josh Morton - D - California - Burlingame Dragons - Chicago Fire
85. - Jose Aguinaga - M - Rider - New York Red Bulls U23 - New York Red Bulls
87. - Mamadou Guirassy - F - NJIT - Jersey Express - Portland Timbers
89. - Manny Padilla - D - San Francisco - San Francisco City FC - Houston Dynamo
92. - Ben White - D - Gonzaga - Portland Timbers U23 - Toronto FC