The 2022 MLS SuperDraft was the 23rd edition of the SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. The SuperDraft is held every January prior to the start of the MLS season and has been conducted via conference calls since 2020.[1] Previously, the SuperDraft had been held in conjunction with the annual January United Soccer Coaches convention.
Since 2021, the SuperDraft consists of three rounds. Teams that received fourth-round picks for this draft via past trades received compensatory picks instead.[2] Of the 75 players selected in the SuperDraft, 28 were signed by MLS teams—most of them from the first round picks.[3]
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 Charlotte FC[4] would begin play as an expansion team in 2022. Sacramento Republic and St. Louis City SC[5] were about to debut that year, but MLS delayed St. Louis's start to 2023 instead, and the league's expansion to Sacramento was withheld indefinitely.
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.
^No. 3: Toronto → Dallas. January 10, 2022: Dallas acquired Toronto FC's first-round selection and Dom Dwyer in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money and buying out Dwyer's contract.[6]
^No. 7: Chicago → NY Red Bulls. January 11, 2022: The Red Bulls acquired Chicago's 2022 first-round selection in exchange for $100,000 in general allocation money.[7]
^No. 10: Los Angeles FC → Colorado → Nashville. July 27, 2021: Colorado acquired a 2022 first-round selection and midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye from Los Angeles FC in exchange for $1 million in 2021 general allocation money and a 2022 international roster slot. On January 11, 2022, Colorado traded the pick to Nashville SC in exchange for general allocation money.[8]
^No. 7: Montréal → NY Red Bulls → Chicago. January 11, 2022: The New York Red Bulls acquired Montréal's 2022 first-round selection in exchange for $100,000 in general allocation money and the Red Bulls traded to Chicago Fire for the same GAM.[7]
^No. 13: D.C. → San Jose. January 11, 2022: San Jose acquired D.C.'s 2022 first-round selection in exchange for $100,000 in general allocation money.[7]
^No. 14: LA Galaxy → Cincinnati. April 8, 2021: Cincinnati acquired a 2022 first-round selection and $250,000 in 2021 general allocation money from the LA Galaxy in exchange for the discovery rights to winger Kévin Cabral.[9]
^No. 15: NY Red Bulls → Montréal. January 11, 2022: Montréal acquired the New York Red Bulls' 2022 first-round selection as part of their earlier first-round trade.[7]
^No. 20: Seattle → NY Red Bulls. January 11, 2022: The New York Red Bulls acquired Seattle's 2022 first-round selection in exchange for general allocation money.[7]
^No. 21: Nashville → LA Galaxy. December 12, 2021: LA Galaxy acquired Nashville's first-round selection in exchange for Ethan Zubak.[10]
^No. 25: Salt Lake → Columbus. January 11, 2022: Columbus acquired Real Salt Lake's first-round selection in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money.[7]
^No. 26: Philadelphia → Nashville → Colorado. January 19, 2021: Nashville acquired a 2022 first-round selection and 2021 second- and third-round selections from Philadelphia in exchange for up to $225,000 of general allocation money. On January 11, 2022, the pick was traded to Colorado for general allocation money.[11]
^No. 28: NY City FC → Dallas. January 11, 2022: New York City FC traded the pick to FC Dallas in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money.[11]
Round 2
^No. 34: Dallas → NY City FC. January 11, 2022: NYC FC traded $50,000 in general allocation money to Dallas in exchange for a second-round selection.[7]
^No. 38: Los Angeles FC → Nashville. February 26, 2020: Nashville acquired a 2022 second-round selection, $350,000 in combined 2020 and 2021 general allocation money, and the No. 24 spot in the MLS Allocation Order from Los Angeles FC in exchange for the No. 1 spot in the Allocation Order. The traded pick was LAFC's natural selection.[12]
^No. 45: Minnesota → Colorado. September 19, 2020: Colorado acquired a 2022 second-round selection and $150,000 in 2020 general allocation money from Minnesota in exchange for forward Kei Kamara.[13]
^No. 49: Nashville → Vancouver. November 26, 2019: Vancouver acquired a 2022 second-round selection and the No. 25 selection in Stage One of the 2019 MLS Re-Entry Draft from Nashville SC in exchange for the No. 2 selection in the same stage of that Re-Entry Draft. Nashville used the No. 2 pick to select defender Eric Miller. The traded pick was Nashville's natural selection.[14]
^No. 54: Philadelphia → Miami. December 23, 2021: Inter Miami acquired a 2022 second-round selection from Philadelphia in exchange for forward Julián Carranza on loan with a purchase option.[15]
Round 3
^No. 60: Houston → LA Galaxy. December 12, 2021: LA Galaxy acquired a 2022 third-round selection from Houston in exchange for defender Daniel Steres.[16]
^No. 66: Los Angeles FC → Dallas. March 9, 2021: Dallas acquired a 2022 third-round selection and additional incentives, if certain performance thresholds are met, from the Los Angeles FC in exchange for forward Cal Jennings and his college protected list rights.[17]
^No. 73: Minnesota → NY Red Bulls. April 30, 2021: The Red Bulls acquired a 2022 third-round selection from Minnesota in exchange for the homegrown player rights to midfielder Aziel Jackson.[18]
Compensatory picks
^No. 85: Charlotte → Chicago. December 18, 2020: Charlotte and Chicago swapped fourth-round selections in exchange for Charlotte's acquisition of midfielder Brandt Bronico.[19] The pick acquired from Chicago was not exercised.
^No. 86: Miami → Vancouver. September 5, 2019: Vancouver acquired a conditional 2022 selection from Inter Miami in exchange for midfielder David Norman Jr.[20]
^No. 87: Minnesota → Dallas. December 13, 2020: FC Dallas acquired a 2022 fourth-round selection and up to $50,000 of general allocation money from Minnesota in exchange for the MLS rights to defender Callum Montgomery.[21]
^No. 88: Colorado → Atlanta. March 4, 2020: Atlanta acquired a 2022 fourth-round selection from Colorado in exchange for the homegrown player rights to midfielder Will Vint.[22]
^No. 89: New England → San Jose. December 13, 2020: San Jose acquired a 2022 fourth-round selection from New England in exchange for the player rights to Jon Bell.[23]
Yanis Leerman
Loudoun United
Vitor Dias
Tola Showunmi
