The crew made two picks in Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft, a major offseason date on the Major League Soccer calendar that continues to lose its impact on team rosters year after year.

The crew selected Clemson defenseman Justin Malou at No.27 overall, the final pick in the first round, then took Ohio State defenseman Joshua Jackson-Ketchup at No.52 before passing his third pick. tower.

It’s unclear when the Crew can start defending their MLS Cup championship in 2021 – with MLS and its players’ union locked in a controversial negotiation over a new collective agreement – but it is unlikely that any of the Thursday’s choice be taken into account in this next season.

With the growth of MLS academies and teams preferring to recruit players through their academies, the impact of the draft has diminished significantly since the league’s first 15 years.

The Crew, for example, have only one draft pick on their current roster. Miguel Berry was a 2020 first-round pick who spent the year on loan at San Diego Loyal in the United Soccer League. The crew only signed their first-round picks in the 2019 and 2020 draft.

That said, there is still some talent in the varsity ranks, as evidenced by the Crew’s four local rookies, all of whom played a year of college football before turning pro.

“Every year the draft is proven to produce players for the league. Maybe less and less, but there are players who are taking it to the next level and playing, ”said Crew President and CEO Tim Bezbatchenko.

“At the same time, we are exploring adding a Crew 2 team and so even if this player is not offered an MLS contract, he can come in, learn for a year or two and then maybe have a little more. time to become an MLS pro.

The only place on the crew’s list with a crying need for depth is outside the back, behind starter Harrison Afful. It’s possible that neither Malou nor Jackson-Ketchup will be signed by the Crew ahead of the season, let alone play in any competition unless a spot opens up due to injury.

With the last pick of the first round, the Crew went with the player they thought was the best available. Team coach Caleb Porter said Malou came from a Clemson program with a winning culture and had the athleticism to potentially become a rotation player.

Malou, a native of Senegal, has made 50 starts in 60 career games with the Tigers, the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference champions. He had a career-high six assists in 2019 and scored one goal in 11 games this year. season.

“Where Justin will be is obviously up to him, but there is a hole in that second place” at right-back, Porter said. “At least third place, which potentially pushes him to second team. And with his athletic profile, we thought that made sense. “

Jackson-Ketchup has been a regular starter at Ohio State since his first season, making 50 starts in 54 appearances. He’s unlikely to play for the Crew, although technical director Pat Onstad believes he can play in a reserve squad.

“It’s going to be a long shot,” Onstad said. “He’s the 52nd pick in the draft. It’s hard to try to do it, but we’re hoping to have a second team and maybe that’s where he will start and then see if he can make the jump.

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