With College lacrosse moving ahead, it’s time to start looking forward to the PLL. We’re going to be seeing some of the college athletes in the big leagues after their final college season. Here’s some thoughts on what teams need and who they should pick up to help fulfill those needs with some young studs. We expect this to change by the end of the season, but this is what we expect so far.
Round 1
Pick 1 - Chris Gray, Attack, UNC -Chrome
The Chrome need as much help as they can get, they have yet to win 10 total games in the PLL since the league started. That is why they need Chris Gray. Gray is a do it all kind of player, and one of the best in the world to do it. Give Chris the rock at X and let Heacock flourish off-ball like when he played with Rambo at Maryland.
Pick 2 - Will Bowen, Defense, Georgetown –Atlas
The Atlas has had consistent struggles with their defense since the start of the PLL. That’s why we see them picking up Will Bowen from the Hoyas. They are an incredibly young team offensively with a couple vets on the team, and the same goes for the defense. Adding Will to the defensive unit can give the Bulls a solid rotation in Durkin, Pifani, Rexrode, Van Raaphorst, and Will Bowen. Now you have a full close-d, and two hybrids running the LSM spot.
Pick 3 - Jack Hannah, Midfield, Denver-Redwoods
It’s only fitting that number 3 goes third in the draft. Jack Hannah is a beast. He has transformed into a do it all two way midfielder for Bill Tierney at Denver. Jack can dodge you anyway he wants and get an open look. Then he can get back on defense and shut you down when you think you have a matchup. Taking a look at the Redwoods roster, they are solid all around. But, the one place they can use some extra fire power is the midfield. Myles Jones, Sergio Perkovic, Jules Henningburg, Charlie Bertand, and Jack Hannah is a scary lineup at midfield.
Pick 4 - Ryan McNulty, Defense, Loyola-Archers
The Archers are loaded offensively with guys who perform consistently. Now it’s time for that defense to start building. Ryan McNulty is someone we can see fitting in smoothly with his versatility, being able to play LSM and close defense. He is a player that fits the Archers’ up-tempo and aggressive play style.
Pick 5 - Logan Wisnauskas, Attack, Maryland-Atlas
Wisnauskas is the complete player, fitting right into that #1 jersey like a glove. He has been able to take over and lead the Terps this year, and we expect him to make a run at the Tewaaraton award. So, to think that he is slipping to 5 is crazy. Atlas have Mark Cockerton and Eric Law who are both 30 years old entering this season. Wisnauskas playing with Jake Carraway and Jeff Teat would be a scary sight for other teams.
Pick 6 - Sam Handley, Midfield, UPenn-Chaos
The reigning champs are set everywhere pretty much, but adding a 6’2 220 midfielder to their roster is only going to make them stronger. Sam Handley is a beast on the lacrosse field being able to use his size and strength to get where he needs to go. Handley will also bring a traditional play style to this offense that has a lot of versatility.
Pick 7 - Matt Moore, Attack/Midfield, UVA – Whipsnakes
The Whipsnakes still have an incredible roster of players, and we truly wouldn’t be surprised to see them trade some players for future picks. Anyways, Matt Moore would be a good fit for the Whips. Matt is a lights out shooter who can rip it righty or lefty, and can also dodge when it’s needed. We’re starting to see Matt dodge above the net this season which we have not really been used to. Having Rambo and Zed Wiilliams as their main dodgers, and now you have to keep your eye open for Channenchuck, John Haus, Brad Smith, Will Perry, Connor Kirst, and Matt Moore? Opposing defenses are going to have to pick their poison.
Pick 8 - Mike Sisselberger, Face-off, Lehigh- Chaos
The Chaos ranked 7th out of 8 in face off stats last year. For a team winning the championship, that is not great. I think a face off guy makes sense in their second pick of the first round. It’s a tough choice between Lasalla and Sisselberger. But, we think you take the size and physicality of Sisselberger over Lasalla’s stick skills after the faceoff. Sisselberger seems like a player who is going to be a similar personality to Connor Farrell, which is just what the Chaos can use to generate some more championships.
Round 2
Pick 9 - Brett Makar, Defense, Maryland-Chrome
Kicking off the second round we got the Chrome picking in the top spot again. With the Chris Gray pick, it’s time to shift ends of the field and pick defensively. What a better place to look than the University of Maryland’s Brett Makar. Brett is the anchor of the Terp defense, and has been for a while. What a fit that would be to bring him right in and lead this defense with Jesse Bernhardt.
Pick 10 - Petey Lasalla, Face-Off, UVA-Cannons
The Cannons had a rough year at the face-off X this past season. The trade to get Stephen Kelly does help the Cannons, but having Lasalla there as well can only help. Both guys have the stick skills to push a fast break to Lyle and play a second or two of offense. The rest of this Cannons squad is solid enough that their first pick can be their biggest team need, which is to bump up their face-off wins.
Pick 11 - Arden Cohen, D/LSM, Notre Dame-Atlas
Since the Atlas pick again at #13 they can figure out what they want more in terms of offense and defense. Taking a look at the roster now, the LSM position is the focus. We talked about the 5-man defensive unit before, but now we are adding Cohen. Tucker Durkin being 31 years old will most likely be out there as the captain, but slowly they will change into a different looking defense with Bowen, Pifani, and Van Raaphorst, and Cohen running LSM.
Pick 12 - Justin Inacio, Face-off, Ohio State- Archers
Now that Stephen Kelly is gone, the Archers need to get a face-off guy. Inacio is currently 119-65 on faceoffs, for a 65% win percentage. All the talk is around Sisselberger and Lasalla, yet Inacio is showing out. This is a solid sleeper pick for the Archers, or whoever gets him in reality.
Pick 13 - Brendan Curry, Midfield, Syracuse- Atlas
Curry has the speed that the Atlas need from their midfield. When they need to get their offense started from up top, they can now work with Costabile and Curry to get it initiated. Curry has been showing off his speed all year and being able to draw and move it to Teat, Bucaro, Costabile, and Wisnauskas (earlier draft pick) will create a nightmare scenario for opposing defenses.
Pick 14 - Chris Fake, Defense, Yale-Waterdogs
Pick 14 is the first pick of the draft for the Waterdogs. The dogs had a solid season, going 6-3 and taking many fans by surprise. Chris Fake is someone we believe can help improve this team, especially defensively. He has been a household name in the sport of lacrosse ever since his freshman year at Yale. Expect Chris Fake to do big things in the league.
Pick 15 - Bubba Fairman, Midfield, Maryland –Whipsnakes
Like we said in their earlier pick, the Whips are loaded. But, they have some age showing in their defensive midfield role. Tyler Warner is coming back which should help that position tremendously, and picking up Bubba Fairman will as well. The Whips would continue their Maryland pipeline, and get an incredible 2-way midfielder in Bubba. People have forgotten that Bubba played all four years on Maryland’s offense, scoring 116 points and counting. Just because he is now playing a team role where he fits better on the defensive end doesn’t take that away.
Pick 16 - Connor Maher, Midfield, UNC-Chaos
Maher is another D-middie that gets taken in the second round for us. Chaos has a similar situation in that they have some defensive midfielders getting older, so what better way to improve that with some youth. Plus, you get one of the best defensive midfielders in college lacrosse. So far this year, after four games Maher has totaled 5 caused turnovers, and 24 groundballs: not too shabby for a D-mid. Add that with some PLL knowledge from the vets and he can be a stud.
Round 3
Pick 17- Nakeie Montgomery, Midfield, Duke –Chrome
Chrome has Chris Gray and Brett Makar so far in our draft, probably the #1 players at their position in college. So, why not go for another and scoop up Nakeie Montgomery. He played football and lacrosse at Duke, which you can see helps his game immensely. He can take anybody in a 1v1 and make some big time plays. Having him play with Colin Heacock and Chris Gray would make this Chrome team very exciting to watch.
Pick 18– Jonathan Donville, Midfield, Maryland-Archers
Donville was the #1 pick in the NLL and has been on a tear ever since he arrived at College Park. Donville will be the perfect hybrid midfielder for this offense. Being able to hover around the crease and catch insane feeds from Grant Ament and Schreiber on the crease, or taking his defender from anywhere on the field. Wherever Donville lands, he has the potential to be the steal of the draft.
Pick 19- Gibson Smith, Defense, Army-Redwoods
If you are PLL fans, you know the Redwoods like their defense, that’s why we’re going with Gibson Smith here. Picking up Smith will allow for John Sexton to go down to close defense, and split reps with Hugh Crance. Smith is a groundball machine picking up 12 already in just two games, that’ll be a huge transition help for the Redwoods.
Pick 20- Brendan Nichtern, Attack, Army-Whipsnakes
Taking a look at this updated Whips team, they need to add an X attackman. Sure, they have Rambo as their primary ball handler, but having a guy who can go both ways, draw the slide and move it to any of the weapons that are on offense can take some of those big checks away from Rambo and allow him to score at will.
Pick 21- Wheaton Jackoboice, Midfield, Notre Dame - Atlas
Jackoboice has always delivered while at Notre Dame, even if he is taking a back seat to the Kavanagh’s. He is someone who can step right in for the Atlas, and perform in any spot. We see him playing offensively to begin the season, and slowly working his way into a role where he play both ends as the Atlas take advantage of his youth.
Pick 22- Sean Lulley, A/M, Duke-Waterdogs
Lulley has been playing his role perfectly at Duke this year, being a utility player that Duke can move to any position needed and letting him go to work. He has been able to provide a spark for the offense in multiple games and we see him doing exactly that for the Waterdogs. We think he would fit more with the midfield line playing the offensive end with Currier and Connor Kelly/Ryan Conrad. The dogs definitely need some more offensive midfielder and this is a good place to start.
Pick 23- Mike Adler, Goalie, Duke-Cannons
The Cannons could use improvements in most spots, but they should start with the core: who is in net. Mike Adler stepped into Duke and delivered as soon as he stepped foot in Durham. He can make the big time saves and lead his defense to victory and we think he can transfer that ability to the PLL and the Cannons.
Pick 24- Connor DeSimone, Attack, Johns Hopkins-Atlas
Connor can fit in right into this offense in a hybrid role. He’ll serve as a puzzle piece that opponents will have a hard time getting a scouting report on, as he would be expected to play both attack and midfield. Getting a d middie while he’s out on the midfield line will be a huge advantage and help all the weapons around him.
Round 4
Pick 25- Joe Robertson, Attack, Duke-Chrome
Joe is a great pick to help build this Chrome offense. Chris Gray at X, Robertson on the right side, Nakeie Montgomery, and Colin Heacock should be everything they need to start heading in the right direction. Joe’s ability to see the game and react is elite, always playmaking and choosing the right plays.
Pick 26- Zach Cole, F/O, St. Joseph’s –Whipsnakes
This more of a long term investment - Zach Cole has been silently crushing the face-off X this year. He is 152-54 for a .738 percentage. The Whips do have Nardella still, but he is the only faceoff guy on their roster so it can’t hurt to add some security to that with a young stud.
Pick 27-Asher Nolting, Attack, High Point-Redwoods
Nolting will work with any offense he gets drafted to. He is basically an immovable object out on the field. He knows how to be the leader of an offense, leading High Point for the last four years and continues to do so this year. By the end of the season, he will be a 300 point scoring machine; add him in with Myles Jones and Perkovic on that offense they will have big guys all over.
Pick 28-Keegan Khan, A/M, Maryland-Archers
The key for the Archers is to strengthen their role players, so having back to back picks in the last round and five total picks is huge. Keeghan Khan is having a great year in the spotlight at Maryland, but he’d been doing this at Villanova too. He can play anywhere on the field and produce, which is exactly why we think he’d be a great fit on the Archers.
Pick 29- Marcus Hudgins, Defense, Army-Archers
Marcus hasn’t played in a game yet this year, but that doesn’t take away the fact that he is a defender ready for the PLL. Up to 2021, Marcus had 58 caused turnovers and 97 groundballs. We would want that guy on me team every single game. Having McNulty and Hudgins alongside Hossack and Scott Ratliff will really strengthen the defense.
Pick 30-Mitch Bartolo, A/M, Rutgers-Waterdogs
Bartolo is having a great year leading the Scarlet Knights. Even when he was at UPenn he was able to produce for his team, which is what the Waterdogs need… a producer. So far this year, Mitch has led Rutgers to a 8-1 start with 32 points. The 6’6 offensive weapon will be able to make a name for himself at the next level.
Pick 31- Brett Kennedy, LSM, Syracuse-Whipsnakes
Kennedy rocks #11, which is the defensive 22 for the Orange. Throughout the last five years, he has been able to scoop up 147 groundballs, 45 caused turnovers, and 13 offensive points. Not only can he take the ball away from you, but he personally can make you pay for it. Mike Erhardt will be able to give him some tips, take some runs and be a perfect PLL LSM with the shorter shot clock.
Team Picks:
Atlas: Will Bowen, Logan Wisnauskas, Brendan Curry, Arden Cohen, Connor DeSimone, Wheaton Jackoboice
Archers: Andrew McNulty, Jonathan Donville, Justin Inacio, Keegan Khan
Cannons: Petey Lasalla, Mike Adler,
Chaos: Sam Handley, Mike Sisselberger, Connor Maher
Chrome: Chris Gray, Brett Makar, Nakeie Montgomery, Joe Robertson
Redwoods: Jack Hannah, Gibson Smith, Asher Nolting
Waterdogs: Chris Fake, Sean Lulley, Mitch Bartolo
Whipsnakes: Matt Moore, Bubba Fairman, Brendan Nichtern, Zach Cole, Brett Kennedy
