- ReLaxing Luke
What Happened in the PLL Draft?
The first Premier Lacrosse League draft is done. What a sight to see a professional lacrosse draft on NBCSN! Congrats to everyone drafted! Below I have listed the players drafted and the order done so. I have also included my takeaways from watching the draft. That being said, let’s get down to business.
Round 1
1. Archers
· Pat Spencer
· Loyola
· Attack
2. Atlas
· Ryan Conrad
· Virginia
· Midfield
3. Chrome
· Zach Goodrich
· Towson
· Midfield
4. Whipsnakes
· Alex Woodall
· Towson
· Faceoff
5. Redwoods
· Clarke Petterson
· Cornell
· Attack
6. Chaos
· Johnny Surdick
· Army
· Defense
Round 2
1. Chaos
· Jack Rowlett
· North Carolina
· Defense
2. Redwoods
· Tyler Dunn
· Pennsylvania
· Midfield
3. Whipsnakes
· Brad Smith
· Duke
· Midfield
4. Chrome
· Chris Sabia
· Penn State
· Defense
5. Atlas
· Cade Van Raaphorst
· Duke
· Defense
6. Archers
· Curtis Corley
· Duke
· Defense
Round 3
1. Archers
· Colton Jackson
· Denver
· Midfield
2. Atlas
· Noah Richard
· Marquette
· LSM
3. Chrome
· Max Tuttle
· Sacred Heart
· Midfield
4. Whipsnakes
· Isaac Paparo
· UMass
· Defense
5. Redwoods
· Brendan Gleason
· Notre Dame
· Attack
6. Chaos
· Greyson Torain
· Navy
· Midfield
Round 4
1. Chaos
· Austin Henningsen
· Maryland
· Faceoff
2. Redwoods
· Tim Troutner
· High Point
· Goalie
3. Whipsnakes
· John Daniggelis
· Yale
· Midfield
4. Chrome
· Connor Farrell
· LIU Post
· Faceoff
5. Atlas
· Brent Noseworthy
· Michigan
· Midfield
6. Archers
· John Prendergast
· Duke
· Midfield
Takeaways
1. Pat Spencer Taken First, Not a Surprise
Congratulations to Pat Spencer, who goes down in history as the first #1 draft pick in the Premier Lacrosse League. I was curious to see if he’d be the first pick since he’s considering playing college basketball for his fifth year. When asked about this, Archers head coach, Chris Bates, said it wasn’t a big deal and the club would be willing to wait. You know you’re good when professional teams are willing to draft you #1 and allow you to sit out a year. This is a good pick up for the Archers as I feel they needed another offensive threat. Whether this year or next, Spencer will be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
2. Two-Way Midfielders and Defensive Players a Hot Commodity
Two-way midfielders are the shiny, new toy everyone wants. Guys like Conrad, Goodrich, and Smith aren’t considered the GOATs of offensive midfielders; however, they can score goals and play defense. Midfielders take note: if you are decent on offense but play great defense, the game is shifting towards your skillset.
Defensive players were popular choices as well. The Chaos made this apparent. They drafted two defensemen in Johnny Surdick and Jack Rowlett with their first two picks. I like this strategy by head coach Andy Towers (who looks like he could still play). If you read my review of the Chaos, you’d know they are loaded offensively. Their whole attack is filled with NLL stars and Myles Jones is the center-piece at midfield. I said they are set on offense but may need some players on defense to step up. It looks like the Chaos addressed this need.
3. Casual Atmosphere of Draft/Professionalism Very Cool
How cool is it to see a professional lacrosse draft on NBCSN? Sadly, I didn’t watch it live thanks to the Vegas Golden Knights choking and allowing their NHL playoff game to go into overtime; however, I watched a rerun of the draft on YouTube (find it here). I absolutely loved the professionalism. Host Paul Burmeister was excellent and knew his stuff. Ryan Boyle did a great job at explaining the 2019 draft class and giving insight into what the league is doing (he mentioned there will be a 45 second shot clock).
My favorite feature was the coaches personally announcing their picks and explaining their decisions. In most drafts, you don’t see the war room; however, with this set up, we saw the coaches studying the remaining pool and thinking fast. It was very casual yet informative. If the PLL continues to churn out a product like this, they will retain and grow in viewership.
4. Colton Jackson is my Sleeper Pick
In every pro draft, there’s a low draft pick who shocks everyone. Colton Jackson, a third-round pick to the Archers, will be this guy. Each coach talked about the importance of two-way midfielders and Jackson is an archetype of this style. If Denver wasn’t so generous with their goal scorers, Jackson would have more hype. I personally believe he is better than Brad Smith.
I’ve watched Jackson play in person multiple times and he always impresses. He has a cannon-like shot and plays good defense when called upon. Career wise, Jackson has 78 goals and 28 assists. With numbers like this, and his natural ability to make plays, don’t be shocked to see Colton Jackson getting some playing time in year one.
5. PLL or MLL?
Before this draft, the MLL (PLL’s competitor) held their own in Charlotte, North Carolina. Players like Alex Woodall were selected in both. The question is this: what league do they choose?
To my understanding, it works like so. Players drafted by both leagues are not bound to either one. They have until their senior season is complete to decide. Then they can sign with their preferred league; therefore, players drafted in both leagues still have time to decide.
Personally, I think a lot of these players will choose the PLL. With the PLL, you get television exposure, which could lead to sponsorships if you are popular. The MLL’s regular season isn’t on satellite tv. Also, the MLL just closed three of their teams after the draft. Why would you want to play for a league that drafted you only to eliminate your team? Guys like Woodall, who was taken by the Ohio Machine (#SaveTheMachine), are most likely going PLL. Just my two cents, but I would bet most players are doing the same.
Conclusion
Agree with my takeaways? Disagree? Have any takeaways of your own? Did you watch the draft? Whatever your thoughts, comment below or connect with me on Twitter or Instagram to express them. Subscribe to my site to know when my next article is out. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Go PLL!