The Portland Thorns enter the 2017 NWSL College Draft in a very different position than last season, after finishing with the best regular season record in 2016 and taking home the NWSL Shield for the first time in team history.
This year's draft is considered to be fairly deep. Holding the 14th, 20th, 27th, and 40th picks, the Thorns will look to fill the the gaps of what was perhaps the deepest squad in the NWSL in 2016. With the only major loss off the offseason being the retirement of defender Kat WIlliamson, the Thorns will look to add depth pieces that will be needed to fill the gaps when the 2017 European Championships roll around this summer, and other international call-ups the will no doubt occur throughout the season.