Goal has a look at the best player ever drafted by every MLS club, even the ones that no longer exist
The 2018 MLS SuperDraft is upon us, and your favorite MLS team will have a chance to add the newest star to its roster on Friday.
For some teams the draft has been a gold mine, while for others it's offered little in the way of star power.
has taken a look back at the best player drafted by each club over the years.
We gave no regard to how the player performed for the club that drafted him and focused instead on how their overall careers played out.
Have a look at our selections below!
Brett DavisAtlanta United – Julian Gressel
The list for Atlanta is short and the options limited, but it may take some time before Gressel gives up this title. Taken with the eighth overall pick of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, the MLS Rookie of the Year looks to have a bright future with his versatility making him a good fit for any number of teams or leagues down the road. Atlanta will be hoping to keep him around for as long as possible.
AdvertisementRonald MartinezNew England Revolution – Clint Dempsey
Drafted eighth overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, Dempsey is arguably the best player ever taken in an MLS draft. He started his career by winning Rookie of the Year with the Revolution, helping the club to back-to-back MLS Cup finals in his time in New England. He went on to star in the Premier League, primarily for Fulham, while also playing and scoring in three World Cups with the United States, including captaining his country in Brazil in 2014. He returned to MLS with the Seattle Sounders and helped the club reach the MLS Cup finals in 2017.
While Dempsey is the best player on the Revolution's draft list, the club hit well on a number of picks. The Revs can also count Taylor Twellman (second overall in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft) who became the youngest and fastest player in league history to reach the 100-goal plateau, Shalrie Joseph, (14th overall, 2002 MLS SuperDraft) one of the top midfielders in MLS history and Michael Parkhurst (ninth overall 2005 MLS SuperDraft), who won the 2005 Rookie of the Year and MLS Defender of the Year in 2007, among their many successful draft choices.
Stephen DunnChicago Fire – Carlos Bocanegra
Taken fourth overall by the Fire in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft, Bocanegra became a two-time MLS Defender of the Year before going on to have a solid career in Europe with Fulham in England, Rennes and Saint-Etienne in France, Rangers in Scotland and Racing Santander in Spain. He returned to MLS with Chivas USA before calling it a career, having made more than 100 appearances for the United States, playing in two World Cups and captaining his national side.
The Fire have a long history of success in the draft aside from Bocanegra, having found great value in former Costa Rican international Gonzalo Segares (third round, 55th overall in 2002) and taken the likes of Chad Barrett, Patrick Nyarko, Baggio Husidic, Bakary Soumare and Logan Pause over the years. While the Fire haven't found another star of Bocanegra's quality, the club has landed a number of solid MLS players through the draft.
Jonathan DanielNew York Red Bulls – Michael Bradley
Bradley is one of the few players on this list who found limited success with the team that drafted him. Taken as a teenager as the 36th overall pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, Bradley missed his entire rookie season with an injury. He earned a starting spot for the MetroStars, playing under his father Bob, in 2005, but left MLS for SC Heerenveen in January 2006. European stints with Borussia Monchengladbach, Aston Villa, Chievo and Roma followed before his return to MLS in 2014. Bradley won the 2017 MLS Cup title on a historically good Toronto FC team, is the current captain of the U.S. national team and is regarded as one of the best American players ever.
The Red Bulls also count Toronto FC and U.S. national team star Jozy Altidore, Fulham defender Tim Ream, former MLS MVP Mike Magee and many other solid players among their draft picks over the years, but none have been able to reach the heights that Bradley has.