10 Bold Predictions for 2016 MLS SuperDraft
The 20 clubs in Major League Soccer will convene in Baltimore on Thursday for the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
Last season's draft produced one of the league's top scorers in Orlando City's Cyle Larin as well as instant contributors Matt Polster, Saad Abdul-Salaam, Tim Parker and Axel Sjoberg.
The 2016 edition of the SuperDraft has plenty of top talent as well, with Georgetown's Joshua Yaro atop most draft boards across the league.
As we all know, plenty of things can change in regard to the draft order before teams begin to select players on Thursday, but based on the current draft order and specific team needs, we tried to make 10 bold predictions for the happenings at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Among the predictions are a surprise signing, a defender with a rising stock and trade speculation about a spot in the top 10.
Continue reading to see what our 10 bold predictions are for the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
Joshua Yaro Will Not Be the No. 1 Overall Pick
1 of 10Since the start of the college soccer season, many have pegged Georgetown's Joshua Yaro as the top prospect in Thursday's SuperDraft.
However, he is not the only option available that could make a difference right away for the Chicago Fire. Yaro is currently a center-back, but some see him moving out to the flank at the professional level.
Although the Fire are in need of defensive help, they also have holes almost everywhere on the pitch. Chicago only has 14 players currently on its senior roster.
While they do have more depth at the moment further up the pitch, there are players like Fabian Herbers or Jack Harrison that could draw them away from Yaro.
There's also a possibility that another team trades into the No. 1 overall position and sends either players, draft picks, allocation money or a combination of the three to Chicago in return.
One reason another franchise could swoop in and trade for the top selection is the rising stock of Stanford full-back Brandon Vincent, who is currently participating in the United States men's national team's January camp.
Brandon Vincent Becomes the Hottest Commodity in the Top 3
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The SuperDraft couldn't have come at a better time for Brandon Vincent. The left-back, who is fresh off a national championship-winning season at Stanford, is one of the hottest commodities in the draft pool.
Even before his call-up to the USMNT, Vincent was turning heads with his play for the Cardinal alongside fellow January camp attendee Jordan Morris.
Since full-back is the most difficult position to build up depth at in MLS, expect a team to take Vincent high in Thursday's draft in order to secure his signature before others swoop in with trade offers.
Vincent would be a perfect fit for the Philadelphia Union at the No. 3 overall pick, but there is a chance the Colorado Rapids take him at No. 2.
The only way we see Vincent going first overall is if a club trades into that spot. Chicago has an established left-back in Trinidad and Tobago international Joevin Jones.
Abu Danladi Signs Before the Draft and Causes Chaos in the Draft Order
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One player who could throw a wrench into everyone's draft plans is UCLA forward Abu Danladi.
The dynamic attacker currently does not have a deal with MLS, but Goal.com's Ives Galarcep reported on Sunday that Danladi is back in the mix for a Generation Adidas contract.
By no means does that mean Danladi will sign with the league by Thursday, but if he does, he will get the attention of almost every side in MLS.
If Danladi agrees to a contract in the next two days, Chicago should field every offer it receives for the No. 1 overall pick, but only give up the selection if the return haul is heavy enough to help build the squad.
Danladi's presence in the draft pool would also cause a ripple effect on the draft board itself. Since he should be a top-five pick, the clubs selecting from sixth to 10th could end up with a better player than expected.
Jack Harrison Falls out of the Top 5
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This may end up being our boldest prediction of the year, but we're going to stick with it just in case it happens.
Jack Harrison, who many see as one of the top three players in the draft alongside Yaro and Vincent, will fall out of the top five due to his absence at the MLS Combine.
The Wake Forest player was kept out of the combine due to a slight groin injury he picked up at the start of the week, per MLSSoccer.com's Matthew Doyle.
With Harrison out of the picture in Florida, a few teams may like what they see out of other top prospects and decide to select them ahead of Harrison.
If Harrison drops out of the top five, expect a bidding war to ensue for Philadelphia's No. 6 overall pick.
The No. 6 Overall Pick Will Be Traded
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The Philadelphia Union are in a great position heading into Thursday. Jim Curtin's side has two of the top six picks and will surely receive trade offers as the draft goes on for at least one of those selections.
With talents like Vincent and Yaro potentially available at No. 3, Philadelphia will select a defensive-minded player before opening up the No. 6 pick for discussion.
The pick, which was acquired in December from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Cristian Maidana and Andrew Wenger, will become valuable to other clubs as players like Harrison, Omar Holness and Richie Laryea remain on the board.
Philadelphia could receive a solid trade bounty for the selection. It would be wise for the Union to at least move back in the first round if they make a trade as well as look for allocation money from a potential trade partner.
If all goes well, the much-maligned franchise could leave Baltimore with the best grade of the day.
Omar Holness Experiences a Cristian Roldan Drop in the 1st Round
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Every year, one player unexpectedly tumbles down the draft board and falls into the lap of a contender.
In 2015, Cristian Roldan fell to the No. 16 overall pick and landed with the Seattle Sounders. The situation ended up fitting Roldan and the Sounders perfectly. The University of Washington product provided Seattle with some midfield depth, and he should be a consistent contributor in 2016.
Due to the lack of an established position at the professional level, Omar Holness will drop past the 10th pick and end up with one of 2015's playoff teams.
Holness is listed as a forward, but he could easily end up on the wing at the next level. Because of the inability to choose where Holness best fits in certain clubs' systems, he will fall before a team like LA, D.C. or Montreal selects him.
Although we don't wish a painful drop on anyone, Holness probably has the best chance to fall of the marquee prospects in the draft pool.
There Will Be No Unknowns Taken in the Top 10
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In the last two SuperDrafts, FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire have turned heads with unexpected selections in the top 10.
In 2014, FC Dallas chose Tesho Akindele from the Colorado School of Mines with the sixth-overall pick. A year later, the Fire selected Matt Polster out of SIU-Edwardsville with the No. 7 pick.
All credit goes to both teams for identifying Akindele and Polster since both went on to be key contributors in their respective rookie seasons. But the luck of finding the next unknown star will run out for MLS clubs in 2016.
Most of the teams in the top 10 need players to fill voids immediately, which means they will most likely go with commonly known players in order to turn them into first-team players right away.
If a club were to go rogue and select someone that we don't know, it may be Toronto FC at No. 9. The Reds don't have too many holes after bringing in three veterans in defense early in the offseason.
Taking a chance on a young unknown could end up benefiting Toronto just like it did FC Dallas and Chicago.
A Team in the Top 15 Takes Andrew Tarbell
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If a goalkeeper were to be selected in the first round, Clemson's Andrew Tarbell should be the guy.
Where the Generation Adidas signing ends up is a big mystery at this point, but expect a club to take him earlier than expected in the first round.
The first club that could select Tarbell is the New England Revolution at No. 10, but that may be seen as waste of a pick with Bobby Shuttleworth starting in net.
Starting with LA at the 12th-overall pick, things could get interesting for Tarbell. The Galaxy acquired Dan Kennedy in December, but they could pick Tarbell as a goalkeeper of the future since Kennedy is 33.
D.C. United might take a flier on Tarbell just in case Bill Hamid leaves at some point in the next two years, while Montreal and Seattle could be intriguing options.
If he does fall out of the top 15, Tarbell might not get past the Portland Timbers at No. 20.
Eric Verso Cashes in on His Strong Combine
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Stanford's Eric Verso has arguably been the best player at the MLS Combine through two matches.
In two games in Florida, Verso has provided two assists for his teammates on Team Control. If he continues his strong form into the third day of games, Verso could hear his name called in the first round on Thursday.
The 23-year-old, who was a member of the LA Galaxy academy when he was younger, scored 13 goals and handed out 19 assists in his time at Stanford. Verso was also a key player on the team that captured the College Cup in December.
Teams in need of a consistent spark in midfield should go after Verso in the first round. A good fit for him may be D.C. United at No. 13.
The Black and Red are in need of fresh faces in attack and could use someone like Verso to wreak havoc moving forward in 2016.
Thomas Libiih's Selection Earns Praise Across the League
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One name worth keeping an eye on heading into Thursday is Cameroon youth international Thomas Libiih.
Libiih, whose father of the same name participated in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups with the Indomitable Lions, turned heads on the first day of the MLS Combine and is generating buzz among plenty of teams.
The 6'1" center-back displayed strong communication skills and a physical presence in the middle of the back line on Friday, according to MLSSoccer.com's Matthew Doyle.
Most of the clubs positioned in the top 10 could use a young center-back with the skills mentioned above. With that in mind, expect Libiih to go in the first round and for the pick to earn praise across the league.
Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.
