The 2021 MLS SuperDraft was the 22nd edition of the SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. The SuperDraft is held every January prior to the start of the MLS season. The 2020 SuperDraft was the first held exclusively via conference call and web streaming. The Draft was once again held virtually, and began on January 21, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and consisted of three rounds (shortened from four rounds in prior years). Compensatory picks were conveyed to teams that received fourth-round picks via trades.
Format The SuperDraft format has remained constant throughout its history and closely resembles that of the NFL draft:
Any expansion teams receive the first picks. MLS has announced that Austin FC would begin play as an expansion team in 2021. Non-playoff clubs receive the next picks in reverse order of prior season finish. Teams that made the MLS Cup Playoffs are then ordered by which round of the playoffs they are eliminated. The winners of the MLS Cup are given the last selection, and the losers the penultimate selection.
Player selection Player key* Denotes player who has been selected for an MLS Best XI team^ Member of 2021 Generation Adidas class† Player who was named to an MLS Best XI and Generation AdidasSigned key29 Denotes player who signed for an MLS team (Division I) 21 Denotes player who signed for a USL Championship team (Division II)16 Denotes player who signed for a USL League One, MLS Next Pro, or NISA team (Division III)3 Denotes player who signed for a team outside the United States soccer league system Positions keyGK GoalkeeperDF DefenderMF MidfielderFW Forward
Round 1 MLS team Player College ConferenceAcademy teamAmateur teamSigned 1Austin FC MF Virginia Tech ACC Virginia Blue Ridge Star Austin FC 2FC Cincinnati FW Wake Forest ACC Wellington Phoenix FC Cincinnati 3Colorado Rapids MF Clemson ACC Orlando City SC Colorado Rapids 4D.C. United FW Clemson ACC Sheffield United Greenville FC D.C. United 5D.C. United DF Wake Forest ACC Baltimore Celtic Treasure Coast Tritons D.C. United 6Houston Dynamo DF Washington Pac-12 Crossfire Premier Crossfire Redmond Houston Dynamo 7Real Salt Lake DF Virginia ACC Loudoun Soccer Northern Virginia United Real Salt Lake 8Orlando City SC FW Georgetown Big East Sockers FC Treasure Coast Tritons Orlando City SC 9Vancouver Whitecaps FC FW Akron MAC Century Soccer Black Rock FC Vancouver Whitecaps FC 10Inter Miami CF FW Indiana Big Ten Sockers FC Indy Eleven Inter Miami CF 11Austin FC DF Washington Pac-12 Real So Cal Ventura County Fusion Austin FC 12San Jose Earthquakes FW California Pac-12 Strikers FC Orange County SC U23 San Jose Earthquakes 13New York Red Bulls FW Syracuse ACC Sochaux New York Red Bulls II 14Los Angeles FC FW CSUN Big West Olé Soccer Club FC Golden State Force Las Vegas Lights 15FC Dallas MF SMU American Dallas Texans Texas United FC Dallas 16LA Galaxy Josh Drack FW Denver Summit Portland Timbers Colorado Pride Switchbacks U23 LA Galaxy II 17Minnesota United FC Justin McMaster FW Wake Forest ACC Philadelphia Union Bethlehem Steel Minnesota United FC 18Minnesota United FC Nabilai Kibunguchy DF UC Davis Big West Sacramento Republic San Francisco Glens Minnesota United FC 19Orlando City SC Rio Hope-Gund DF Georgetown Big East New York SC Manhattan SC Orlando City SC 20Nashville SC Irakoze Donasiyano MF Virginia ACC Roanoke Star Daytona Rush Nashville SC 21Austin FC Aedan Stanley DF Duke ACC St. Louis Scott Gallagher Portland Timbers 2 Austin FC 22Orlando City SC Brandon Hackenberg DF Penn State Big Ten Richmond United Reading United Orlando City B 23Vancouver Whitecaps FC Javain Brown DF South Florida American Harbour View Treasure Coast Tritons Vancouver Whitecaps FC 24New England Revolution Edward Kizza FW Pittsburgh ACC Montverde Academy New England Revolution 25Toronto FC Matt Di Rosa MF Maryland Big Ten Bethesda SC Loudoun United 26Inter Miami CF Aimé Mabika DF Kentucky C-USA Cincinnati Dutch Lions Fort Lauderdale CF 27Columbus Crew Justin Malou DF Clemson ACC Montverde Academy SIMA Águilas Columbus Crew 2
Round 2 MLS team Player College ConferenceAcademy teamAmateur teamSigned 28Austin FC MF Virginia ACC Charlotte Soccer Academy Charlotte Independence North Carolina FC 29FC Cincinnati DF South Florida American D.C. United Treasure Coast Tritons FC Cincinnati 30Houston Dynamo FC FW Virginia Tech ACC Blast FC Dayton Dutch Lions South Georgia Tormenta 31Atlanta United FC Josh Bauer DF New Hampshire America East GPS New Hampshire Seattle Sounders FC U-23 Atlanta United FC 32D.C. United Logan Panchot DF Stanford Pac-12 St. Louis Scott Gallagher San Francisco City Loudoun United 33Chicago Fire FC Jackson Ragen DF Michigan Big Ten Seattle Sounders FC OSA Seattle FC Tacoma Defiance 34Real Salt Lake Elijah Amo MF Louisville ACC Bethesda SC Maryland Bobcats 35LA Galaxy Preston Judd FW Denver Summit LVSA LA Galaxy II 36Nashville SC Tom Judge DF James Madison CAA Christian Brothers Academy Cedar Stars Rush Nashville SC 37Inter Miami CF Joe Hafferty DF Oregon State Pac-12 Seattle Sounders FC Eastside FC Tacoma Defiance 38Minnesota United FC Sean O'Hearn DF Georgetown Big East PA Classics Treasure Coast Tritons New England Revolution II 39San Jose Earthquakes George Asomani MF NC State ACC New York Cosmos North Carolina FC U23 San Jose Earthquakes 40New York Red Bulls Lamine Conte DF Louisville ACC Philadelphia Union Reading United New York Red Bulls II 41Los Angeles FC CC Uche DF Ohio State Big Ten Georgia United Chicago FC United Las Vegas Lights 42Colorado Rapids PASS 43Portland Timbers Dawson McCartney MF Dartmouth Ivy Philadelphia Union Reading United Portland Timbers 2 44New York City FC Ben Di Rosa DF Maryland Big Ten Bethesda SC Charleston Battery 45Toronto FC Nathaniel Crofts FW Virginia ACC Sheffield United Long Island Rough Riders Stocksbridge Park Steels 46Vancouver Whitecaps FC Eric Iloski MF UCLA Pac-12 Real Salt Lake AZ Ogden City SC Las Vegas Lights 47Chicago Fire FC Christian Pinzón FW Cal State Fullerton Big West California Rush FC Golden State Force Tapatío 48FC Dallas Colin Shutler GK Virginia ACC Loudoun Soccer Northern Virginia United North Texas SC 49Orlando City SC Andrew Pannenberg GK Wake Forest ACC Charlotte Independence Charlotte Eagles Colorado Springs Switchbacks 50Sporting Kansas City Matt Constant DF North Carolina ACC Dallas Texans Texas United Sporting Kansas City II 51New England Revolution Francois Dulysse DF Manhattan College MAAC Portland Timbers Treasure Coast Tritons New England Revolution II 52Columbus Crew Joshua Jackson-Ketchup DF Ohio State Big Ten Montverde Academy 53Vancouver Whitecaps FC Joel Harrison DF Michigan Big Ten Vancouver Whitecaps FC Whitecaps FC 2 54FC Cincinnati Jonas Fjeldberg MF Dayton A-10 Ull/Kisa Dayton Dutch Lions FC Cincinnati
Round 3 MLS team Player College ConferenceAcademy teamAmateur teamSigned 55Austin FC GK Ohio State Big Ten D.C. United Cincinnati Dutch Lions Portland Timbers 2 56FC Cincinnati FW Hofstra CAA Massapequa SC Westchester Flames One Knoxville 57Houston Dynamo FC DF SMU American FC Dallas Denton Diablos 58Columbus Crew PASS 59Atlanta United FC MF Notre Dame ACC Penn Fusion West Chester United SC Atlanta United 2 60Chicago Fire FC MF Wisconsin Big Ten Vardar Flint City Bucks Memphis 901 61Real Salt Lake FW Georgia State Sun Belt Concorde Fire Greenville FC Real Monarchs 62LA Galaxy PASS 63CF Montréal MF Michigan State Big Ten Crew SC Academy Wolves Flint City Bucks 64Toronto FC MF Georgetown Big East Seattle Sounders FC OSA Seattle FC Toronto FC II 65CF Montréal PASS 66San Jose Earthquakes PASS 67New York Red Bulls GK Connecticut College NESCAC Penn Fusion SA West Chester United SC New York Red Bulls II 68Los Angeles FC FW UC Irvine Big West LA Premier FC Los Angeles FC 69Colorado Rapids PASS 70Portland Timbers FW Creighton Big East Elite Academy Portland Timbers 71New York City FC MF Milwaukee Horizon FK Brodarac Chicago FC United New York City FC 72Toronto FC DF SMU American Lonestar SC Brazos Valley Cavalry Toronto FC II 73Nashville SC DF Syracuse ACC Viking FK New York Red Bulls U-23 Bryne 74Nashville SC GK Coastal Carolina Sun Belt Seattle Sounders FC Tormenta FC 2 Nashville SC 75FC Dallas FW Campbell Big South FC Metz Lionsbridge FC North Texas SC 76FC Dallas DF North Carolina ACC FC Dallas Denton Diablos North Texas SC 77Sporting Kansas City FW Marshall C-USA Plymouth Argyle West Virginia Alliance Sporting Kansas City II 78New England Revolution PASS 79FC Dallas FW North Carolina ACC FC Dallas Denton Diablos Loudoun United 80Seattle Sounders FC GK James Madison CAA Southwestern Strikers GPS Portland Phoenix Charlotte Independence 81New York Red Bulls PASS
Compensatory picks The draft was shortened to three rounds, from four rounds as in prior years. Compensatory picks were awarded to clubs that had acquired fourth round picks via earlier trades. MLS team Player College ConferenceAcademy teamAmateur teamSigned 82Sporting Kansas City PASS 83Inter Miami CF PASS 84Real Salt Lake FW NJIT America East TSF Academy Lionsbridge FC 85Inter Miami CF PASS 86Nashville SC FW Drake MVC Sporting Kansas City Lansing United
2021 SuperDraft trades Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Compensatory picks
Notable undrafted players Homegrown players
Original MLS teamPlayerPositionCollegeConferenceNotesRef. Atlanta United FC Wake Forest ACC New York City FC Yale Ivy Columbus Crew Wake Forest ACC
Players who signed outside of MLS This is a list of eligible players who signed in leagues outside of MLS prior to the SuperDraft PlayerNat.PositionCollegeConferenceTeamLeagueNotesRef.DFManhattan CollegeMAACNew England Revolution II USL League One Drafted by New England Revolution MFWisconsinBig TenIndy Eleven USL Championship Signed for 2020 seasonDrafted by Chicago Fire FC DFGeorgetownBig EastNew England Revolution II USL League One Drafted by Minnesota United FC DFDukeACCSporting Kansas City II USL Championship Drafted by Austin FC PennIvyNew Mexico UnitedUSL Championship Undrafted
Other notable players
Player Pos Affiliation Played in MLS Notes Will Pulisic GK Duke 2021–2022
Summary Selections by college athletic conference ConferenceRound 1Round 2Round 3Comp.Total NCAA Division I conferences ACC 12 9 4 0 25 America East 0 1 0 1 2 American 2 1 2 0 5 Atlantic 10 0 1 0 0 1 Big East 2 1 2 0 5 Big South 0 0 1 0 1 Big Ten 3 5 3 0 11 Big West 2 1 1 0 4 CAA 0 1 2 0 3 Conference USA 1 0 1 0 2 Horizon 0 0 1 0 1 Ivy 0 1 0 0 1 MAAC 0 1 0 0 1 Mid-American 1 0 0 0 1 Missouri Valley 0 0 0 1 1 Pac-12 3 3 0 0 6 Summit 1 1 0 0 2 Sun Belt 0 0 2 0 2NCAA Division III conferenceNESCAC 0 0 1 0 1Passes Pass 0 1 7 3 11
Schools with multiple draft selections SelectionsSchools 5 Virginia 4 Georgetown 3 Clemson, North Carolina, Ohio State, SMU, Wake Forest 2 Denver, James Madison, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, South Florida, Virginia Tech, Washington
References