Without a first-round draft pick at their disposal, expectations are low for the Philadelphia Union heading into this year’s MLS SuperDraft, but past experience shows that selections made after the first round and later aren’t always an exercise in futility.
Sure, most of the names selected after the fanfare of the top picks and the high-profile Generation adidas players are off the board aren’t ever heard from again. But sometimes, the opposite happens.
Starting with the Union’s current first-team lineup, you’ll find three players who were selected late enough to be available in the team’s 2017 draft scenario, most notably Richie Marquez, who has gone from Division III unknown to regular after being selected 44th in the 2014 draft.