Darren Mattocks: Montreal Impact Should Make Dynamic Akron Striker No. 1 Pick

The expansion Montreal Impact have the first pick in this season's MLS SuperDraft. Although there are a handful of candidates to become the face of the new franchise, Akron striker Darren Mattocks stands out from the crowd.

Mattocks netted 39 goals in just 47 games during his two-year career with the Zips. It's that type of production rate which has scouts raving about the Jamaican native, who was rarely not the best player on the pitch at the college level.

His biggest asset is speed.

As the old cliché goes, you can't teach it. He was able to blow by opposing defenders with that blistering pace and should have no problem carrying that trait over to the next level, although opposing back lines will be better prepared for it.

There are other areas where he's going to need some work such as distribution, but there isn't a perfect prospect in the draft so Montreal just has to take the best player available.

Mattocks should be able to make an immediate impact up front. Akron has quickly gained the reputation as one of the marquee schools when it comes to developing MLS talent and this class is no different with Mattocks leading the way.

There's also an interesting situation developing with Brian Ching.

The Impact drafted the long-time member of the Houston Dynamo in the expansion draft. That left everybody other than Montreal in shock as it was expected the Impact would pass on the veteran in favor of younger talent.

It was surely an attempt to acquire Andre Hainault in some type of swap, but if Houston doesn't bite, it could leave Montreal out to dry. Even though Ching has backed off his retirement talk, his heart is still with the Dynamo.

That makes selecting Mattocks all the more important to the Impact. It's unclear how the entire Ching drama will play out, but Montreal needs to have a backup plan in case the team's main striker is moved back to Houston.

While there's always an urge for expansion teams to try to build the most competitive team right away, a slow-building process usually leads to better long-term results. Mattocks could be the franchise's foundation for many seasons to come whereas veterans like Ching are only stopgaps.

All told, Montreal should keep things simple by selecting Mattocks first and letting everything else fall into place. He has a ton of potential and will give the Impact the scoring punch they need.