List of Seattle Sounders FC draft picks

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Steve Zakuani was selected first overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by the Sounders Zakuani vs Dallas 2.jpg
Steve Zakuani was selected first overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by the Sounders

Seattle Sounders FC is a professional American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-flight league in the United States soccer league system. They joined the league as an expansion team in 2009 and play their home matches at Lumen Field, a multipurpose stadium near Downtown Seattle. The MLS team are the third to use the Sounders name, following the original franchise that played in the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1983 and a second club that played in various second-division leagues from 1994 to 2008. [1]

Contents

The team have participated in every edition of the MLS SuperDraft, the league's annual college player draft, since they joined MLS. [2] The use of a draft is similar to other major sports leagues in the United States and Canada, but uncommon in soccer. [3] The draft order is determined by the previous season's standings and progress in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Expansion teams receive the earliest picks, followed by returning teams with the worst win–loss records; for playoff teams, the order is determined by the round they were eliminated in, followed by points per game during the regular season. [4] Draft picks are tradeable for players, other picks, or forms of compensation such as general allocation money or international roster slots. [5] [6]

Since the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, players from American colleges have been eligible for the draft beginning in their sophomore year; the league previously restricted draft eligibility to players in their senior year unless they had signed a Generation Adidas contract. [7] [8] Non-collegiate international players are also allowed to be selected if they are nominated by clubs for the league's draft-eligible list. [9] A team has priority rights to sign a selected player until the end of the following year following the draft; players who return to college or sign for a professional team elsewhere after their selection are not allowed to enter a later draft. [4] [10]

The Sounders were granted the first overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft due to their status as an expansion team and selected 20-year-old forward Steve Zakuani from the University of Akron. [11] The number and rounds and picks in the SuperDraft have fluctuated based on the needs of teams and the expansion of MLS, which grew from 15 teams in 2009 to 30 teams in 2025. [6] [12] The SuperDraft was cut from four rounds to two by 2012 due to the reintroduction of the supplemental draft, which replaced the later rounds. [13] The supplemental draft was eliminated in 2014 and replaced by a single, expanded version of the SuperDraft with four rounds that was used until a reduction to three rounds in 2021. [14] [15]

The SuperDraft was held concurrently with the annual convention of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America until the draft became a virtual conference in 2020. [16] [17] It had declined in importance by the late 2010s as the development of young players had shifted to team academies and the signing of homegrown players. [18] [19] Teams had also skipped all their picks in later rounds or traded away their picks; [18] the Sounders had traded their lone first-round picks in several years and only selected one player in the 2021 draft. [2] [20] In the most recent draft in December 2024, the Sounders selected three players over three rounds, including midfielder Ryan Baer from West Virginia as their first-round pick. [21]

Draft history by year

Seattle Sounders FC draft history by year
Draft [22] Rounds [22] Original draft order [a] Total selections [23] First-round pick(s) [22]
2009 41st [b] 4 Steve Zakuani (1st overall)
2010 411th3 David Estrada (11th overall)
2011 311th5
2012 215th2 Andrew Duran (15th overall)
2013 215th2 Eriq Zavaleta (10th overall)
2014 413th4 Damion Lowe (8th overall)
2015 419th6 Cristian Roldan (16th overall)
2016 415th4
2017 422nd5 Brian Nana-Sinkam (22nd overall)
2018 422nd3 Alex Roldán (22nd overall)
2019 420th3 Tucker Bone (20th overall)
2020 426th3
2021 326th1
2022 320th2
2023 39th2
2024 323rd3 Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (23rd overall)
2025 [25] 328th3Ryan Baer (28th overall)

Key

Key
Indicates the player signed a Generation Adidas contract prior to the draft [22]

2009 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
111 Steve Zakuani Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo Forward Akron
2116 Evan Brown Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Wake Forest
3131Jared KarkasFlag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Azusa Pacific
4146 Mike Fucito Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Harvard
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2010 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
11111 David Estrada Flag of the United States.svg  United States Forward/Midfielder UCLA
21127 Mike Seamon Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder Villanova
41159 Jamel Wallace Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender San Diego State
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2011 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
2220 Michael Tetteh Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Defender/Midfielder UC Santa Barbara
2321 Leone Cruz Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Southern Methodist
2927 Servando Carrasco Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder California
21129 Bryan Meredith Flag of the United States.svg  United States Goalkeeper Monmouth
31147 Alex Caskey Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder Davidson
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2012 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
11515 Andrew Duran Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Creighton
21534Babayele SodadeFlag of the United States.svg  United States Forward UA Birmingham
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2013 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
11010 Eriq Zavaleta Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador Defender Indiana
21635 Dylan Remick Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Brown
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2014 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
188 Damion Lowe Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Defender Hartford
2221 Jimmy Ockford Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Louisville
31755 Stefano Rijssel Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname Forward/Midfielder MLS Caribbean Combine [d]
42077 Fábio Pereira Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Midfielder Michigan
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2015 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
11616 Cristian Roldan Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder Washington
21233 Tyler Miller Flag of the United States.svg  United States Goalkeeper Northwestern
21940 Oniel Fisher Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Defender/Midfielder New Mexico
3648 Andy Craven Flag of the United States.svg  United States Forward North Carolina
41375 Charlie Lyon Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Marquette
41880 Andy Bevin Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder West Virginia
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2016 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
2727 Tony Alfaro Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Cal State Dominguez Hills
21535 Zach Mathers Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder Duke
31354 Emir Alihodžić Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina Midfielder Omaha
31576 Michael Nelson Flag of the United States.svg  United States Goalkeeper Old Dominion
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2017 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
12222 Brian Nana-Sinkam Flag of England.svg  England Defender Stanford
22244 Dominic Oduro Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Midfielder FC Nordsjælland [d]
31256 Bakie Goodman Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder Georgetown
32266 Jake Stovall Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Wright State
42288 Kyle Bjornethun Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Seattle
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2018 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
12222 Alex Roldán Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador Defender/Midfielder Seattle
22245 Markus Fjørtoft Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Defender Duke
32268Chris BaredFlag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Villanova
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2019 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
12020 Tucker Bone Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder Air Force
22044 Joel Rydstrand Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Midfielder Creighton
32068 Aleks Berkolds Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender San Diego State
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2020 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
2935 Danny Reynolds Flag of England.svg  England Defender UNC Wilmington
22652 Timo Mehlich Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Midfielder UNLV
32678Julian Avila-GoodFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Defender Seattle
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2021 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
32680 TJ Bush Flag of the United States.svg  United States Goalkeeper James Madison
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2022 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
21543 Achille Robin Flag of France.svg  France Defender Washington
32076 Hal Uderitz Flag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder Seattle
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2023 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
2938Eythor BjörgolfssonFlag of Norway.svg  Norway Forward Kentucky
3159Blake BowenFlag of the United States.svg  United States Defender San Diego State
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2024 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
12323 Kalani Kossa-Rienzi Flag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Washington
22352Antino LopezFlag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Duke
32381Buba FofanahFlag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone Forward Portland
Source: MLS, [22] FBref [23]

2025 MLS SuperDraft

Seattle Sounders FC's selections in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft
RoundPick #OverallNameNationalityPosition [c] College
12828Ryan BaerFlag of the United States.svg  United States Midfielder West Virginia
22858Demian AlvarezFlag of the United States.svg  United States Defender Seattle
31676Trace TerryFlag of the United States.svg  United States Forward Bowling Green State
Source: MLS, [25] FBref [23]

Notes

  1. Draft orders change based on trades and other factors. This is the original draft order based on the previous season's record.
  2. Seattle Sounders FC was awarded the first pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft due to their status as an expansion team. [24]
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Position reflects their listing in FBref and may not be representative of a player's position on a college or professional team.
  4. 1 2 Non-collegiate international player

References

  1. Drosendahl, Glenn (April 8, 2015). "Seattle Sounders FC". HistoryLink . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Krasnoo, Ryan (January 8, 2017). "How all the Seattle Sounders' former first-round MLS SuperDraft picks have fared". SoundersFC.com. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  3. Bell, Jack (January 13, 2012). "How Super is the M.L.S. SuperDraft?". The New York Times . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "MLS SuperDraft 2025 Rules and Regulations" (Press release). Major League Soccer. December 17, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  5. "2024 MLS Roster Rules and Regulations". Major League Soccer. July 18, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Lowy, Zach (December 18, 2023). "Soccer 101: MLS SuperDraft". St. Louis City SC . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  7. Anderson, Jason (October 31, 2023). "MLS allows clubs to select college sophomores, juniors after SuperDraft rule change". Pro Soccer Wire. USA Today . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  8. "Major League Soccer announces Generation Adidas class ahead of Friday's draft". Toronto Star . The Canadian Press. December 18, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  9. "Everything you need to know about the 2017 MLS SuperDraft". MLSsoccer.com. January 12, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  10. "Eligible player pool expanded for MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas". MLSsoccer.com. October 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  11. Washburn, Gary (January 15, 2009). "Sounders FC's first pick is Zakuani". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  12. Tenorio, Paul (July 24, 2024). "Don Garber: 25 years of the MLS commissioner who became the most powerful man in American soccer" . The Athletic . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  13. Mayers, Joshua (January 12, 2012). "Sounders look for depth in SuperDraft". The Seattle Times . p. C1. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  14. Lalas, Greg (January 21, 2014). "SuperDraft: Why Seattle Sounders have an extra pick in the 4th round". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  15. Rueter, Jeff; Stejskal, Sam (November 18, 2020). "MLS will trim 2021 SuperDraft to three rounds from four: Sources" . The Athletic. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  16. Maurer, Pablo; Rueter, Jeff (November 15, 2019). "Sources: MLS to do away with the SuperDraft in its current form starting in 2020" . The Athletic. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  17. "2020 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas format, broadcast details". MLSsoccer.com. December 13, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  18. 1 2 Creditor, Avi (January 21, 2021). "The Present and Future of the MLS SuperDraft". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  19. Boehm, Charles (December 16, 2023). "SuperDraft: How does it fit into today's MLS?". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  20. "Sounders FC trades for one, drafts another in 2021 MLS SuperDraft" (Press release). Seattle Sounders FC. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  21. "Sounders add 3 in MLS SuperDraft" . The Seattle Times. December 20, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 MLS Communications Department, Elias Sports Bureau (February 23, 2024). "2024 Fact and Record Book". Major League Soccer. pp. 220–235. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Seattle Sounders FC Draft History". FBref. Sports Reference . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  24. "2009 MLS SuperDraft Selection Order" (Press release). Major League Soccer. January 14, 2009. Archived from the original on January 17, 2009.
  25. 1 2 "MLS SuperDraft 2025 Tracker". MLSsoccer.com. December 19, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2025.