MLS Draft 2014: Philly moves up to take Blake No. 1

Blink and you missed it. The final two rounds of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft were finished in about 30 minutes, about a fourth as long as it took to complete the first two rounds. (Here are the results for the first two rounds.)

The reality is that the vast majority of these players won’t make a MLS roster and will simply be fodder for training camp battles. There are always a few hidden gems. The question is who?

The second round of the MLS SuperDraft is in the books. Behold, the 19 players that few people know about:

Second round

Neil is somewhat of a surprising pick for RSL because he is an out-and-out winger who hugs the touchline, which is the type of player that Salt Lake hasn’t favored in recent years, but Jason Kres is gone. WIth Jeff Cassar in charge, RSL may be looking to add more options to their normal diamond midfield and Neil could be a player who allows them to do that.

The Rapids took van de Casteele with the final pick of the first round, which is later than many expected him to go. The Notre Dame product was a four year starter for the Fighting Irish so he is plenty experienced and along with a mature body, he is considered a centerback that can step in and play as a rookie.

The MLS SuperDraft ticked along with Picks No. 6, 7 and 8, none of which were Patrick Mullins. Pegged by nearly everyone to be a top five pick, Mullins has continued to slide, much to the delight of Tesho Akindele, Andre Lewis and Damion Lowe.

Although Miller has played all over the defensive side of the park, his highest upside appears to be as a fullback. Miller contributed three goals and an assist in 2013, earning himself a Generation adidas contract in the process. He also has the size to play as a center back, a type of versatility that the Impact surely find attractive. With Matteo Ferrari arguably the team’s top center back at the moment, Miller could break into the starting lineup there.

After making a trade with the Philadelphia Union to move down to the No. 2 spot in the MLS SuperDraft, D.C. United selected Cal’s Steve Birnbaum. The center back was voted as the MVP of the recently concluded MLS Combine.

Scouts rave about the soon-to-be 23-year-old’s aerial abilities and his strength, while also giving him points for being comfortable with the ball at his feet. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he has the kind of body that compete with MLS forward from Day 1 and should be able to compete for a starting spot right away, quite capable of taking that spot from either Jeff Parke or Bobby Boswell. If there’s one knock against him, though, it’s that he may linger on the ball a bit long and have a bit too much faith in his ability to dribble out of trouble.