(Note: I went over most of this stuff with Jon in the review podcast, but for those who want a little bit more or to just get my thoughts in written form, here they are.)

Chicago Red Stars

Tierna Davidson was a big get for the Red Stars for both value and need reasons. It’s pretty clear that an Ertz-Naughton CB partnership wasn’t going to win the club a title, and Davidson coming in gives them flexibility to move Ertz back to the midfield or go with Davidson-Ertz at central defense. Davidson should be a USWNT fixture for a while and can also play as a defensive midfielder if necessary.

The other big question for Chicago heading into this offseason was how they would increase their attacking returns on the wings. Trading for Katie Johnson certainly helps, but the club also managed to get better their in the draft with a few of their picks. Maria Sanchez is already one of Mexico’s bright young hopes for the future and proved unplayable for Santa Clara at times on the flank this year. She’s crafty with flair and has great upside. Consistency has been an issue, but if Rory Dames can get that out of her, Sanchez could be real steal in the middle of round two.

Using international slots on rookies is a big gamble for most teams, but the Red Stars had more than enough room to maneuver with Sam Kerr, Yuki Nagasato, and Rosie White the only internationals on the roster lat year, though the latter two are out of contract. That means that capturing Bianca St. Georges early in the third round could be a huge coup if she signs on, as the former West Virginia Mountaineer and Canadian full-back possesses mid-round talent and likely only slipped down due to needing that international slot. St. Georges could turn into one of the most exciting right-backs in the league, having been a dribbling machine in college, averaging seven a game, at a seventy-four percent success rate.

At this point, the Red Stars dipped into the very abundant local talent pool to fill out their draft class. Northwestern center-back Kayla Sharples was a consistent force at the back for the Wildcats, winning 78% of her defensive challenges and almost 70% in the air as a senior. As is the case with many center-backs who dip this late into the draft, Sharples’ passing needs work, completing just 69%, though that obviously wasn’t a deal breaker here. At the end of the fourth round, Sharples’ center-back partner, Hannah Davison was taken. Though Sharples was probably the better player over four years, Davison was higher on many metrics as a senior. Davison ticks many of the same boxes as Sharples (strong defensive challenge win %, weak pass completion %) but has some worries in the air, winning just 52% of those challenges as a senior.

April Bockin is more regional than local, coming from the University of Minnesota, but she’s of enough quality that she should have really gone a little earlier. The rare winger that can finish, Bockin converted half her chances last season, making her one of the sharpest finishing forwards in Division I as a senior. Her passing is solid for a forward, completing 71% of her passes, though battles in the air are a huge weakness, having won just 25% of those. That’s not a big worry for a fourth-round pick though, and Bockin helps strengthen the wide attacking position for Chicago that was a big priority to improve going into the offseason.

Lastly, Chicago took local star Jenna Szczesny from Loyola Chicago. Szczesny was a small school terror for the exciting Ramblers and was almost always one of the very best players on the pitch as a senior. Her finishing rate was one of the best in the country for a forward, as she converted forty-two percent of her many chances in 2018. Szczesny can also playmake as evidenced by her 2.1 chances created and two key passes complete per game. The former Rambler isn’t more than adequate in the air (54% duels won) and won’t dribble opponents into submission (47% successful attempts), but she has potential as someone who’ll just put the ball in the back of the net.

Houston Dash

The Dash were in a good position to take advantage of any projected first rounders slipping down the board and made that apparent with their first two picks. Taking Ally Prisock with their first pick could potentially be the move that finally gives the club a center-back partner for Amber Brooks the club can have a little faith in. Prisock was just a little below Sam Staab on my board, but she has first round talent and should be able to immediately compete for time here.

That also goes for CeCe Kizer, who the Dash took right after Prisock with pick #13. Kizer isn’t going to need to be a top scoring option considering the Dash do bring back Rachel Daly and Kealia Ohai, with Veronica Latsko coming off an impressive W-League season as well. But Kizer is another first round talent that slipped and can lead the line or play deeper in a 9.5 role, which could be useful when the Dash’s South African contingent is away on international duty given the otherwise sparse options there. At the very least, Kizer’s presence should open up even more opportunities for the established frontrunners.

Missing out on Julie James may have prodded the Dash to make some very rash decisions with their middle round picks. Chief among those decisions was the baffling choice of Betsy Brandon in the middle of the second round. Houston needed an anchor in the middle of the park to protect the backline, but Brandon isn’t that type of player, more of a distributor from deep. Brandon’s advanced numbers were down almost across the board last year, including in key categories such as pass accuracy and challenges won. Brandon won just 51% of her defensive challenges, with a 7:6 ball recovery to ball lost ratio per 90 minutes also a concern. The Virginia alum also played more than fifty-five minutes just twice on the season, raising questions about how quick she can adapt to being a ninety-minute player at the next level.

Taking Kayla McCoy at the end of the second round might seem like overkill after taking Kizer a little earlier, but the Dash are going to be missing more than one attacker to the WWC, and McCoy is more of a traditional #9 than Kizer. The Duke star was a strong finisher last year, converting 35% of her chances and racking up almost two key passes a game while completing 80% overall, not a small thing for a center-forward. Of course, McCoy might end up in France as well, having been called into a recent Jamaican WNT camp, but she still represents strong value at the spot Houston took her at.

The Dash probably reached for Jazmin Jackmon in the early part of the third round. The Oregon left-back was on my list of sleepers to watch but probably came off the board a round early. She was a bit of a polarizing figure on draft boards, though I though she had potential as a diamond in the rough. Jackmon should be a solid defensive option on the left, winning 73% of her defensive challenges last year but probably isn’t going to add much offensively. Jackmon completed just 23% of her crosses while only succeeding with 1.7 dribbles per game at a 55% clip.

They followed that pick directly with Grace Cutler, a pick that doesn’t make much sense on paper considering the club had gone with another central midfielder in Cutler. Cutler’s more of a directly defensive midfielder, though her defensive challenges won number was just above average at 62%. Cutler did manage around eight interceptions a game but isn’t going to add much offensively, averaging just 1.1 dribbles per game and completing just 74% of her passes with the Mountaineers last year.

North Carolina Courage

It’s good to be the champs. The Courage took Leah Pruitt as expected with their first pick, with the USC product a bull with the ball at her feet and a likely good fit in this system. With Jessica McDonald out of contract and getting up in years, Pruitt could be an eventual replacement down the line but a fine super sub at the very least this year.

There may be higher hopes for right-back Hailey Harbison, who was the biggest surprise of round one. Harbison had a mid-round grade on her in our assessment, though we also admittedly had less data on Pepperdine than many other teams/prospects. Harbison did dominate WCC level competition over the past few seasons but is also an older prospect having missed 2016 with an injury. Merritt Mathias did very well last year for Paul Riley, but the boss has been ruthless in trading away starters in the past, with Mathias also currently out of contract. Harbison will have expectation behind her as a first rounder, but she may have to be content as a super sub if Mathias returns.

The biggest reach of the day for the Courage might have been taking Colorado College’s Lauren Milliet in the middle of the second round. The good news is that Milliet made a huge impact when she was on the pitch with the Tigers and was often the best or one of the best players on the pitch in our advanced metrics study. But Milliet’s raw numbers leave a little to be desired, as she completed around 63% of her passes and won just half of her defensive challenges. Milliet could be one of the best dribblers in this class, completing 68% of her tries, or around 3.4 per match. She could be called into early action when the likes of Debinha and Crystal Dunn are gone for the Women’s World Cup, so it might be trial by fire for the rookie.

With their last pick of the day and the draft’s last pick overall, the Courage grabbed recently crowned national champion Kaycie Tillman. Tillman is a player who has traditionally played much bigger than her box score numbers and is a good passer on the wing (80% completion), who can also connect with crosses at a high rate when she actually attempts them (43% completion). Tillman doesn’t stand out with her dribbling numbers but had above average numbers in terms of challenges won and could be a candidate to move to right-back. At the very least, Tillman could be a solid bet to help make up the numbers when this squad gets hit with WWC attrition.

Orlando Pride

A roster building strategy focused on the present instead of the future has led Orlando’s role on draft day to be a supporting one, and the Pride had little to work with going into this year’s edition. But the Pride also entered the day with just thirteen signed players and some clear weaknesses, meaning shrewd moves could pay dividends down the line. Instead, Orlando made one of the worst picks of the day on paper with their first pick, reaching for Colorado’s Erin Greening in round three. Greening can play at either full-back spot but was used mainly at left-back this year, though the Pride already have Carson Pickett there this year, with major questions at center-back still lingering. Greening did win 65% of her defensive challenges and was solid in the air when asked (67% challenges won) but also couldn’t hit water if she fell out of a boat with a horrid 66% pass completion mark. Turnovers are also a concern with an 11:10 ball recovery-to-ball lost ratio that isn’t offset by a tepid 2.3 dribbles completed per game. Greening wasn’t awful as a senior in college, but there were much more polished players available that could have filled more pressing needs.

The selection of Marisa Viggiano with the Pride’s other pick was a marginally better one for Orlando. Though Viggiano’s passing wasn’t overwhelmingly accurate at just 75% completion overall, she created an average of a chance per game as a playmaker and nearly one key pass a game as well. Viggiano’s probably not going to make hay as a destructive dribbler but did complete nearly four a game at 61% success, so it still is a part of her game. For a playmaker, Viggiano can hold her own defensively as well, winning 63% of her defensive challenges, though she’s also not much in the air, winning just 49% of those challenges. Turnovers are a big worry for her though, having ended up with a 12:9 lost ball to recovered ball ratio, which is worrying for a midfielder. Given some of the bigger questions about this club defensively and on the frontline when the WWC strikes, it was a bit of a surprise to see them go for a center mid here.

Portland Thorns

Assorted dealmaking meant that the Thorns finished the day with just one pick in this year’s draft. They used that pick on Emily Ogle, who probably suffered the drop of the day after sliding into round three despite having a first round grade on some’s boards. We weren’t one of those, but it was still a bit startling to see such a drastic slide. Ogle could be a major bargain in round three though, with her 82% pass completion and one chance created per game numbers looking most appealing. But Ogle also won just 50% of her challenges on defense, raising questions about how she’ll hold up against pro level athletes. At round three though, Ogle definitely looks worth the risk for the perennial contenders.

Sky Blue FC

Nobody quite knows what to make of the Hailie Mace situation right now. It was pretty well known around Chicago this week that Mace wasn’t going to sign with SBFC, with many thinking the pick would be traded by draft day. It wasn’t, and Mace has already intimated she won’t be signing. That doesn’t seem likely to change, SBFC assertions aside, and the most likely solution is a trade with another NWSL franchise, but with little leverage, can SBFC expect much in return? A package of veterans, as they got from the Spirit for pick #3 looks like the best option, but who wants to play for this team?

It’s a question that also applies for Julia Ashley, who the club took at #6 with a pick they received in the Katie Johnson trade. Ashley sounded far from enthused about the selection and has signed a short-term deal in Sweden that could still put her in the league in the Summer. If Ashley does decide to return to Jersey, it’s a huge boon for SBFC, as she’s a steal at this position and fills a big need on the backline. But the odds of Ashley returning to the league without a trade look remote right now and could create a worst-case scenario with Mace also looking unlikely to sign.

If the above two picks represented solid value, Paige Monaghan at #10 felt like a reach. Generally speaking, full-backs are overvalued by teams in the draft, but this pick also might have been influenced by Monaghan being a New Jersey native. Monaghan shifted back and forth between right-back and winger with Butler this past season but is probably going to be most effective on the backline. Which makes her selection here an odd one considering the club already took Ashley as a right-back earlier. If Ashley doesn’t sign, the situation changes entirely, but Monaghan also might’ve still been available at #19.

Julie James probably would have gone to Houston early in the second round had she not been taken by Sky Blue with the eleventh pick, making her a steal for Sky Blue. The club desperately needed someone like her last year, when the midfield was routinely overrun. If she signs, she probably steps right in as a ball winner in midfield and could not only solidify what could be a shaky backline but also help free up some of the other midfielders to be more focused on offense, making her a potentially vital addition.

Utility forward Kyra Carusa also represents pretty good value at the beginning of the third round for Sky Blue, with the Georgetown attacker having been a potential pick a round earlier. SBFC are starved for frontline depth on paper, and Carusa’s ability to play all three forward positions could be a big boost for the club. Her actual finishing left a little to be desired last year, with Carusa finishing 20% of her chances in a twelve-game sample. But Carusa also completed an average of two key passes in that span, underlining some qualities that make her comparable to Savannah McCaskill in her ability to make others in the attack better.

Only one goalkeeper was drafted, but it was a wholly bizarre pick, with Sky Blue FC selecting Florida’s Kaylan Marckese at the beginning of round four. Sky Blue could have done with an upgrade at the backup goalkeeper spot, but adding in another rookie hardly seems like the right solution. The club also ended up trading for Didi Haracic, meaning they have four keepers now on the roster, though none exactly inspire an overwhelming amount of confidence based on past history. Marckese actually had a good senior season by some of our metrics, but she’s also painfully inconsistent, which augurs pretty well with how this team has built its goalkeeping corps in the past. An ideal situation would see her given time to develop as a #3, but she might need to be pressed into early action if Kailen Sheridan makes the Canada WWC roster.

Sky Blue stayed very local with their last few picks of a very busy draft. Kenie Wright was probably the lesser of the two full-backs at Rutgers this year to Madison Pogarch but still could be a solid investment as right-back cover. Wright’s passing at 74% total completion is pretty unremarkable, but she was strong defensively, averaging 71% success on defensive challenges, including 4.5 tackles per game. Wright’s probably not going to be a big asset for the offense, but she might be solid enough on the other side of the ball to stick.

The last pick of the draft for SBFC was Notre Dame’s Sabrina Flores, another local from Jersey who the club has to hope will stay in-market. Flores looked to be on the verge of a breakout season after a phenomenal first weekend but was a massive disappointment afterward, often all but disappearing in the Irish’s toughest matchups. She created about 1.4 chances on average per ninety minutes and is a strong crosser of the ball, completing 43% of those attempts, which could lead to a move out wide. But Flores is also a defensive liability, winning just 51% of her defensive challenges, including just 48% in the air while also winning just over half of her tackle attempts. Flores isn’t much of a direct attacker either, succeeding on just 48% of her dribbles (2.2 per ninety minutes). Best case scenario might see Flores as a playmaker in midfield, but her defensive weaknesses could keep Flores from being a big contributor.

Utah Royals

Poor returns in earlier NWSL Drafts likely had many approaching Laura Harvey’s efforts this year with great skepticism. Using the Royals’ first pick on Pepperdine’s Michelle Maemone then felt like an unfortunate punchline, as the Waves defender was hardly on many’s radars coming into the draft this year. With Becca Moros aging and Kelley O’Hara WWC bound, the Royals needed left-back cover, though not as much as they needed a right-back. But Maemone struggled mightily against some of Pepperdine’s best competition this year and looks like purely defensive option. She did win 68% of her defensive challenges (albeit with a smaller data set than many other prospects) but didn’t create a chance in nine games with inStat data and also won just 50% of her dribble attempts, completing just 1.1 a game. Also a worry, Maemone averaged seven lost balls to go with seven ball recoveries on average a game, never a good sign with defenders.

The Royals’ next pick was a better one, as they selected Penn State right-back Maddie Nolf. It’s no secret that Utah was a disaster at right-back when Brooke Elby wasn’t there, including after they traded her to Chicago. Nolf was good but not great for Penn State as a senior but at least looks capable, which can’t be said definitively for Utah’s other picks. Nolf’s passing accuracy is a big positive at 84%, but it’ll be interesting to see if Nolf can hold up defensively, having won just 58% of her defensive challenges in 2018. Nolf also averaged just one successful dribble a match last year, raising questions as to just how much of a direct attacking threat she’ll be at the next level. She’ll likely have every chance to win a starting job early though given the paucity of options at right-back.

Utah closed their draft out with another baffling pick, taking North Carolina’s Alex Kimball. Kimball gained some level of infamy this season after knocking Tierna Davidson out for what would be her final season at Stanford with a horror challenge early in the year. Projecting where Kimball fits in with this Royals squad is difficult, as she played much of the first half of the season as a left-back before taking up a role on the frontline later in the year. It’s difficult envisioning Kimball sticking as an attacker though, as she put a wholly unimpressive 17% conversion rate up as a senior. While at left-back, Kimball wasn’t much of a crosser and offered little on defense, winning just 56% of her defensive challenges, though she was formidable in the air, winning 67% of those duels. Kimball did average thirteen ball recoveries per 90 minutes played, but she never played more than sixty-two minutes in her stint as a left-back, often going less than thirty minutes, making those per ninety minute numbers potentially misleading. Utah has needed young blood for some time now, but Kimball might still have trouble sticking given her shaky numbers.

Washington Spirit

If you would have told me that a team had gotten both Jordan DiBiasi and Samantha Staab, I probably would’ve been able to give that team a thumbs up with little hesitation. But the Spirit don’t look like winners on the day all things considered. Staab is probably the more understandable pick, given the Spirit’s needs on the backline, but there doesn’t look to be an inspiring partner there with her on the roster as of this writing. Much of that is due to a jaw-dropping trade, that saw the Spirit give away three veterans that were also three of the very few remaining veterans on this squad. DiBiasi’s stock appeared to be slipping coming into draft day based on concerns about her pace, but even if those worries were misguided, this is a bizarre fit given the presence of Rose Lavelle and Andi Sullivan in central midfield. DiBiasi could still work out, but the Spirit had other big needs that could have been filled and certainly not by trading a clutch of players to do so.

The Spirit continued to pick up talented players with their next two picks, Tegan McGrady and Dorian Bailey. McGrady didn’t have an exceptional senior season, with injury slowing her down at stages, but she has great athleticism and ability to get up and down the line and as much upside as anyone in this class. That should be a big boost for a backline that was slow-footed last year. But the pressure will be on McGrady to perform given the price the Spirit paid, which included the club’s first round pick next year. It’s an enormous gamble on the present, and one that could kneecap the Spirit in the long run. Bailey does a lot of things well, even if she wasn’t outstanding in any one area. But she’s also primarily a central midfielder on a team that took such a player in the first round and that already has plenty of them on the roster. The value was fine, the fit may be much more questionable.

The pick of Bayley Feist in the second round was a baffling one, not for the sake of what it cost the club as with some of their other picks or for sheer talent (Feist looks a solid prospect) but for sheer need. The Spirit had already taken a pair of center mid with DiBiasi and Bailey earlier and still hadn’t addressed need on the backline at right-back or fortified the frontline, which looked only a little less threadbare. Feist could fill a role as a stopper in midfield, winning 69% of her defensive challenges last year, but also has offensive limitations, completing just 73% of her passes and averaging eleven lost balls a game.