The 2011 MLS Draft is now in the books and because of the league's unusually long offseason, everyone likes to put a microscope on the draft. First, the focus is on who will get a Generation adidas contract and bypass their remaining college eligibility to enter the draft. Next, everyone speculates who will be drafted where and we do our mock drafts. Finally, the draft is conducted, our mock drafts are embarrassingly inaccurate and we start predicting which rookies are going to make enough of a difference that they alter the race for the MLS Cup.
As much time as we like to commit to the MLS Draft and as much fun as it may be though, the fact is that as every year goes by it becomes less and less important. Furthermore, the MLS Draft is only going to decrease in importance at a greater rate now that the homegrown player rule is essentially without limits and scouting in the United States by foreign clubs.
While some would argue that only one MLS Draft pick has gone on to win league MVP that the MLS Draft was never that important and to a degree it is true. An entire team has never and was never going to be built through the draft, but that doesn't mean that teams couldn't have a successful team with a nucleus built through the draft.
Early in the league's existence, teams weren't built through the draft because most of the team was made up of players from allocated players the the MLS Inaugural Player Draft. As the league moved into the 2000's though, there was a clear change as the draft became more and more important and by the mid-2000's, teams could have cores made up of drafted players to a large degree.
One of the league's most successful teams of the 2000's was the New England Revolution, who never won a MLS Cup, but were Supporters Shield winners and four-time MLS Cup participants between 2002 and 2007. Especially in the later portion of New England's success, the club had a core that was made up mostly of drafted players. Taylor Twellman won league MVP and was a Revolution draftee. Other key members of the club that were drafted by the club included Shalrie Joseph, Clint Dempsey, Michael Parkhurst, Pat Noonan and James Riley. While additions such as Steve Ralston and Matt Reis were undoubtedly key to the club's success, the Revolution proved that several draft hauls can be the foundation for a successful run in the league, but that is no longer the case.
While teams could build a foundation through the draft even just a few years ago, now, scores of players who would have been draft eligible in past years will be signing with their local clubs as homegrown players. MLS has essentially lifted any limit on homegrown players so clubs are free to reap the rewards of their youth investment. Players are now being training and signed at a young age and will never be draft eligible. Someone like Juan Agudelo, who is touted as one of the top young players in MLS has never and will never be a part of the draft. Andy Najar, a DC United player is in the same boat.
Texas has produced some of the top talent in the United States, from Clint Dempsey to Omar Gonzalez, but would either have been in the draft nowadays? FC Dallas has clearly made their development academy a club priority and they have five homegrown signings already to prove it. Add in the Houston Dynamo in the state of Texas and the new USL club in San Antonio that has its eyes on becoming a MLS club one day, the top young talent in the state could very well be picked up long before they enter the MLS Draft.
Adding to a weakened draft is the added scouting of the United States by international clubs. News of teenage Americans signing with European clubs used to send U.S. soccer fans into a tizzy, but now it is relatively common. Whether it is Joseph Gyau and Charles Renken signing with Hoffenheim in Germany, Jose Francisco Torres signing with Pachuca in Mexico, Michael Hoyos heading to Argentina, Eric Lichaj with Aston Villa or Alejandro Bedoya signing with Orebro in Sweden, more and more young Americans are bypassing MLS for foreign clubs. This only weakens the talent available in the draft further.
With the homegrown player rule and international scouting, teams can no longer build through the draft like they once could. It is becoming increasingly more important that clubs develop a youth academy to sign the best young players from their area. While Dallas has plenty of talent to pick from in Texas, Real Salt Lake has broadened their borders and have an academy in Arizona from which they are developing talent they hope to sign some day. A club like the Los Angeles Galaxy built their young defense through the draft with Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza and Sean Franklin, but they have an aging midfield and forwards that they will have a hard time replacing with draft picks. Instead, they will have to be shrewd in the international market and take advantage of the homegrown player rule to sign the abundance of young talent in Southern California.
The days of building through the draft are over. That doesn't mean the draft doesn't have importance because there will still be talent available in the draft and for the late bloomers, a long college stay and MLS Draft might be their ticket. Fans and writers will still fixate on the draft and do a horrible job with mock drafts too to make the long offseason pass. That said, the draft will be for adding a piece here or there, not for building and entire core. The homegrown player rule and increased scouting have taken care of that and that is just fine because the talent level is rising, it's just coming from different avenues than it once did.