Tomorrow's Draft Day

It's that time of year again, it's time for another MLS draft and tomorrow in Baltimore KC will get the rights to 3 players for the next season. KC has the 10th, 32nd, and 46th picks tomorrow. There's been tons of speculation on who is going to be taken in the draft by KC. It seems like every mock draft has a different person being taken in the number 10 spot. From Omar Salgado, to Joao Plata, to Kofi Sarkodie, to Eddie Ababio, Daniel Keat, or Michael Tetteh they've been all over the place. A lot of the early speculation had KC getting a center back with the number 10 spot, either AJ Soares or Jalil Anibaba were picked out a lot, but Anibaba seems to have played himself out of KC's pick ability with a very impressive combine.

KC will be hoping to replicate a good first round pick like they did last year getting Teal Bunbury. But unlike how the team is spinning it, outside the Bunbury pick last year, the 2010 draft was unsuccessful for KC. They had five picks in the draft and only two of those five ended up making the roster, so I would hope for a more successful draft this year and with the expanded roster that certainly seems more likely.

As pointed out by Gooch at the Star, with the 3 internationals players invited to training all being defenders it's possible KC may not think they need to get a defender. My opinion still stands that KC needs to grab a center back with the first pick, but that's all dependent on either Soares or Anibaba being available. If both of them are picked before KC comes up at number 10, it's not worth it in my opinion to reach for other center backs in the first round, and look to potentially get one in the second round.

If neither one of those two are available in the first round then KC needs to look to address other needs or even look to grab a GA player that's available. And if Soares and Anibaba are selected, that'll leave a few GA's still out there for selection. A guy like Michael Nanchoff or Michael Tetteh might be good just for their salary exemption. Although I'm not sure KC currently needs a guy like Tetteh who can play left back or left mid when KC has Ryan Smith, Roger Espinoza, and Michael Harrington (if and when he's re-signed) already available to play those positions Tetteh would seem unlikely to see much of the field.

Another way I could see KC going with the pick if Soares and Anibaba are gone is to go and get a midfielder. Maybe someone like Michael Farfan, Stephen McCarthy, or one of the GA midfielders if available. The main reason I see KC going with a midfielder if they can't get a defender is because I don't think KC needs to use a first round pick on a striker. I think with Smith, Omar Bravo, Teal Bunbury, and Kei Kamara already under contract a striker it plays down the potential of a first round pick being a striker. For me, in the first round you're usually looking for guys to contribute more in their first season and I think with that depth it seems a little unlikely. Course now that I say that we'll probably go out and grab someone like Joao Plata, Corey Hertzog or Victor Estupiñan.

It's certainly no easy task to figure out who KC is going to pick and is extremely dependent on who is picked ahead of them. We could also see KC try to trade up to try and grab someone like Anibaba or Soares. Remember I will have a Cover it Live session going during the draft, so feel free to join in.