Donovan Brown MLS Mock Draft – 12 July 2012

July 13, 2012 · Donovan Brown
1. Eriq Zavaleta 2. Mamadou Doudou Diouf 3. Matt Lodge
Round 1
1 Toronto MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Toronto Eriq Zavaleta F Indiana
Toronto FC needs to find an identity and you do that with goal scorers. Eriq Zavaleta scored ten for Indiana as a freshman and, if he keeps that up, will be a very high draft pick. What makes Zavaleta special is his ability to create. On a bad Toronto team, a pure striker may not get many opportunities, but Zavaleta can come back and get the ball and create opportunities either for himself or his teammates.
2 FC Dallas MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings FC Dallas Mamadou Doudou Diouf F Connecticut
It has become painfully clear that FC Dallas struggles to score when either Blas Perez or Brek Shea are out. And they are out quite a bit. And they do not score too much either. While a playmaker to help set them up would be nice too, Dallas needs a striker and Mamadou Doudou Diouf is the one to get.
3 Vancouver Whitecaps MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Vancouver (from Phi) Matt Lodge M Kentucky
Vancouver acquired this pick in a deal with Philadelphia and have the luxury of taking a chance on some talent with their two first round selections. However, taking a chance is not how one would describe Matt Lodge. Lodge is an immediate impact type of player who has played for four years at Kentucky.
4 Montreal Impact MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Montreal Eric Schoenle D West Virginia
The Impact need to build up their young talent across the board, but Montreal had a pretty good season offensively. Eric Schoenle is the best true defender available in this draft and Montreal must do something defensively before the 2013 campaign.
5 Chivas MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Chivas USA Yannick Smith F Old Dominion
Chivas USA has the opposite problem. They have tried really hard to bring in some young talent who can score goals, but it has not worked yet. There will be a lot of jockeying for position on the big board among the talented strikers available, but Yannick Smith has a very high ceiling. But he will need to have another great season at Old Dominion to go this high in the draft.
6 Portland Timbers MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Portland Dillon Powers M Notre Dame
Portland does need some offensive firepower, but they also need to wait and see how things go with Danny Mwanga. In the meantime, grabbing a versatile midfielder like Dillon Powers will make the strikers job a little easier.
7 Colorado Rapids MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Colorado Jared Watts M/D Wake Forest
Jared Watts is a great value at this point in the draft. He has enough versatility to play in the midfield or in the back. He needs to add some strength, but he is a smart player who almost always makes the right decision.
8 Columbus Crew MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Columbus Giuseppe Gentile F Charlotte
At the very least the Crew need some quality depth at the forward position. Guiseppe Gentile should be able to provide more than just depth. Gentile was the driving force behind Charlotte’s amazing run to the College Cup finals. And he did it as a freshman. If he does it again, he will not last until the eighth pick.
9 New England Revolution MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings New England Carlos Alvarez F Connecticut
Carlos Alvarez is often overshadowed by teammate Mamadou Doudou Diouf, but Alvarez is a very good striker in his own right. Unlike Diouf, Alvarez is not just a scorer. He can create opportunities and should be a nice fit in New England.
10 Houston Dynamo MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Houston Aodhan Quinn M Akron
Aodhan Quinn is a superb playmaker and has totaled 20 assists during his two collegiate seasons. He spent his freshman year at Bradley before making the move to Akron. At both places, he proved to be a great setup man. If he can score a little more, Quinn will be deserving of a top ten selection.
11 Vancouver Whitecaps MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Vancouver Ryan Finley F Notre Dame
Vancouver nabbed the best defender in this class with the third pick and can now find a goal scorer. When looking for a proven scorer, you cannot do much better than Ryan Finley. While at Duke he led the Blue Devils in scoring two years in a row and netted seven goals for Notre Dame in 2011.
12 Los Angeles Galaxy MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Los Angeles Tyler Polak D Creighton
Barring the emergence of a UCLA defender, the Galaxy should be very happy to get Tyler Polak. The defense has been questionable at best in 2012 and Polak has the experience to be a fine wing back once he wraps up his career at Creighton.
13 Chicago Fire MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Chicago Scott Caldwell M Akron
Scott Caldwell is one of the more experienced and balanced midfielders who could be available for this draft. The senior has spent plenty of time roaming the Akron midfield and has a knack for making the big play.
14 San Jose Earthquakes MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings San Jose Marcello Castro D Sacred Heart
At this point Marcello Castro is a value pick for San Jose. Castro could help the Earthquakes shore up their defense and make a run for an MLS title. Castro has the experience to make a big impact right away. And, at 6-3, he has the size to be a force in the box.
15 Sporting Kansas City MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Sporting K.C. Ashton Bennett F Coastal Carolina
Sporting Kansas City has more than enough defense, but they could use somebody who can score some more goals. Ashton Bennett has a lot to prove still. After spending two years at Cincinnati State Technical College, he led the nation in goals in 2011 while playing for Coastal Carolina. He is not big at 5-8, but can finish with the best of them. He will need to do it again in 2012 to be a solid first round selection.
16 Seattle Sounders MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Seattle Blake Smith F/M New Mexico
Blake Smith is a junior, but only has one real year of productive play at the collegiate level under his belt. But it was a very good season as he helped New Mexico make a magical regular season run. Smith tallied ten goals and five assists in 2011. Since he was so unproductive as an underclassman, Smith needs to have a good 2012 season to work his way into the first round.
17 Houston Dynamo MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Houston (from NY) Andre Blake GK Connecticut
If Andre Blake has a sophomore season anything like his freshman campaign, he will be long gone by now. Houston can take the young Jamaican keeper since they already addressed their need for a midfield playmaker earlier in the draft.
18 Real Salt Lake MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Real Salt Lake John Stertzer M Maryland
Real Salt Lake is not far off from making a serious run at an MLS title and John Stertzer could help them reach that goal. The midfielder is an efficient scorer who tallied 14 goals on 31 shots as a junior for Maryland in 2011.
19 DC United MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings D.C. United Kyle Venter D New Mexico
If D.C. United is picking here, it means they took home the cup in 2012. There may not be any major holes to fill, but one cannot go wrong adding big, quality defenders to the lineup. Kyle Venter is a 6-3 junior who can use his size to make an impact on both sides of the pitch.
Round 2
20 FC Dallas MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings F.C. Dallas (from Tor) Will Bates F Virginia
Will Bates has some injury concerns, but he can be another young striker to add to Dallas’ roster.
21 Philadelphia Union MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Philadelphia (from Dal) Ben Speas F North Carolina
The Union needs somebody who can score. Ben Speas scored the game winner in the 2011 College Cup Final, but needs to pick up his production as a senior at UNC.
22 Los Angeles Galaxy MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Los Angeles (from Phi) Ashani Fairclough D/M South Florida
More defense for the Galaxy. Ashani Fairclough can move into the midfield as well.
23 Montreal Impact MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Montreal Kevin Durr M Air Force
Kevin Durr is a smart, scrappy midfielder who can set up the scorers and he has a pretty nice long shot too.
24 Chivas MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Chivas USA Victor Rodriguez GK New Mexico
There may be a huge difference between Andre Blake and the next best goalie on the board, but Victor Rodriguez is next up.
25 Portland Timbers MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Portland Bryan Gallego D Akron
At some point Portland should grab a defender and Bryan Gallego is a youngster with a ton of upside.
26 Colorado Rapids MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Colorado DeAndre Yedlin D Akron
Like Bryan Gallego, DeAndre Yedlin is another Akron product with a ton of potential.
27 Columbus Crew MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Columbus Jonathan Mendoza M/F Stetson
The versatile Jonathan Mendoza can be molded into a prolific scorer or a prolific midfielder. Either way he should be prolific.
28 New England Revolution MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings New England Jose Altamirano M San Diego State
Jose Altamirano is an experienced midfielder who can be very dangerous taking set pieces.
29 Houston Dynamo MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Houston Billy Schuler F North Carolina
Houston can keep stock piling talent at this point and can take the best player on their board.
30 Philadelphia Union MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Philadelphia (from Van) Alfred Koroma F Akron
If Alfred Koroma lives up to his potential during his freshman season at Akron he will not last this long. If he doesn’t, he will go back to Akron. But there is a chance he does neither and that’d be good news for the Union.
31 Los Angeles Galaxy MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Los Angeles Sebastien Ibeagha D/M Duke
Yet another defensive player for Los Angeles who can also  move into the midfield. 
32 Chicago Fire MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Chicago Emery Welshman F Oregon State
Emery Welshman seems to be underappreciated, but he is an experienced striker who has good size, speed and strength.
33 San Jose Earthquakes MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings San Jose Teddy Mullin M Wake Forest
Teddy Mullin is a younger player, with his sophomore season coming up in 2012, but San Jose can develop his skills.
34 Sporting Kansas City MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Sporting K.C. Gysai Zardes F Cal State Bakersfield
If things play out this way, Gysai Zardes would be the steal of the draft. And it fills a big need for SKC.
35 Seattle Sounders MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Seattle McKauly Tulloch F UCF
Seattle got more of an attacking mid in the first round than a striker. Now they can get that true striker.
36 Sporting Kansas City MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Sporting K.C. (from NY) Charlie Rugg F Boston College
Speaking of strikers, Sporting Kansas City may as well draft another one here.
37 Real Salt Lake MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings Real Salt Lake Antonio Aguilar M DePaul
If Real Salt Lake is picking here it means they lost in the MLS Cup Finals. Even if they don’t make it that far, they are still a good team who should grab another experienced player to help make that final push.
38 New England Revolution MLS Superdraft MLS Mock Draft MLS Player Profiles MLS Player Rankings New England (from DC) Nick Palodichuk M Duke
Nick Palodichuk is a great value at this point in the draft should he leave Duke after his sophomore season.