2012 MLS Draft Defender Rankings UPDATE

2012 MLS Draft Defender Rankings UPDATE
January 11, 2012


2011 mls combine

**Please note that this is the opinion of Joe Mauceri. More opinions from other TopDrawerSoccer.com writers will be released as the draft nears. **

After watching 120 live college soccer games this year, supplemented by another 63 games on tape, composed of 151 different college teams, here is my Final 2012 MLS Draft Ranking.

This version includes Generation Adidas players that have signed, international players that have been reported to be attending the combine, and all seniors.

Joe's 2012 Mock Draft 

Joe's 2012 Draft Rankings: Goalkeepers | Midfielders Forwards

Players that I haven't seen are generally ranked lower than players that I have seen. I'm from the East coast - so it's easier for me to see teams in the East. However, I've seen UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Riverside, Creighton, SMU, Bradley, UCSB (3 times), Denver, New Mexico (twice), California, Bakersfield, San Jose State, Stanford, San Diego State, Washington (twice), UCLA (twice) and Drake live. I was unable to see some teams live, I've only seen on tape (e.g., Michigan State, Ohio State, UAB, Hofstra, Iona). I've reviewed a lot of tape (including the South American U20 qualification tournament. The combine will supplement my prior observations and fill the gaps where needed. I've seen every domestic combine college play live with the vast majority in 2011 and a handful in 2010.

My rankings take into account the values of Generation Adidas, international status and general assessment of the skill and how each player might fit into a MLS team. Given the 3 expansion teams in the past 2 years and the roster increase, I've made slight grade inflation and I'm considering the players with a grade of C+ have increased chances of making a roster and some of the players with higher C rankings may be able to stick, as well.

In addition to ranking each player sequentially, I'm assigning a letter grade using the following scale:

A=Can't miss prospect. Should easily make the roster and may get time with the first team in 2012. By the end of the year, could be an impact player.

B=Likely to make the team. Could make roster, may take a year or more to get to the first team.

C=Probably not going to make the team. Has significant barriers to overcome. A very select few may eventually make it, but it would need to be a perfect storm (multiple injuries, playing out of their heads, fortuitous bounces, etc.).

D=Extremely unlikely to make a team.

F=No shot.

Within each grade, I've ranked each player.

#PosGradeNameCollegeCombine?
 Def Connor LadeSt. John'sHomegrown
1DefAAndrew WengerDukeGA
2DefB+Matt HedgesUNCCombine
3DefBAustin BerryLouisvilleCombine
4DefB-Chris EstridgeIndianaCombine
5DefB-Tyler PolakCreightonGA-Combine
6DefB-Tommy MeyerIndianaCombine
7DefC+Andrew DuranCreightonCombine
8DefC+Andrew Jean-BaptisteConnecticutGA-Combine
9DefC+Warren CreavalleUCFCombine
10DefC+Gienir Garcia Intl-Combine
11DefCJake LevinPenn 
12DefCCharles RodriguezCharlotteCombine
13DefCMykell BatesSanta ClaraCombine
14DefCJames KiffeUCSBCombine
15DefCRJ AllenMonmouthCombine
16DefCRay GaddisWest Virginia 
17DefCAlex LeeMaryland 
18DefCHunter JumperUVACombine
19DefC-Justin ChavezTulsaCombine
20DefC-Jamie FinchWashington 
21DefC-Chris PhillipsLiberty 
22DefC-Derek PrinzHastings 
23DefC-Nick RichVCU 
24DefC-Aaron MaundNotre DameCombine
25DefC-David TiemstraOSU 
26DefC-Roger DownesLoyola-Marymount 
27DefC-Mauricio MoraAdelphi 
28DefC-Benjamin Ubierna Intl-Combine
29DefD+Lance PattersonUC Davis 
30DefD+David DatilusProvidence 
31DefD+Draymond WashingtonGeorge Mason 
32DefD+Stefan AntonijevicValparaiso 
33DefD+Isaac CowlesCharlotte 
34DefD+Aubrey PerrySouth FloridaCombine
35DefD+Kevin VenegasCal State Fullerton 
36DefD+Matt DrakeWest Virginia 
37DefD+Nickardo BlakeConnecticutCombine
38DefD+Colin HenryBoston University 
39DefD+Mike VolkUVA 
40DefD+Kevin StrunkLehigh 
41DefD+Kris ByrdUNCG 
42DefD+Greg MonacoUVA 
43DefD+Eric ZuehsowGeorge Mason 
44DefD+Jack CleverlyFairfield 
45DefD+Jack PearsonDayton 
46DefD+Mark BaroneMichigan State 
47DefDShawn SinghUCLACombine
48DefDChad VandergriffeSLU 
49DefDPatrick SiglerCal PolyCombine
50DefDDiogo de AlmeidaSMUCombine
51DefDDaniel SteresSan Diego State 
52DefDRyan KawulokPortland 
53DefDCyprian HedrickCoastal Carolina 
54DefDAndrew PowellBucknell 
55DefDGerard BarberoMissouri St 
56DefDFrancis OtiraNorthern Illinois 
57DefD-Anthony VazquezMonmouth 
58DefD-Tom BrandtPenn 
59DefD-Wes FeighnerCal Poly 
60DefD-Sam BrooksKentucky 
61DefD-Tobias HottnerJacksonville 
62DefD-Peter O'NeillNorthwestern 
63DefD-Ryan WilhelmSIUE 
64DefD-Andrew HenshawMassachusetts 
65DefD-Ronnie ShabanColumbia 
66DefD-Ben SlingerlandGeorgetown 
67DefD-Greg MacnamaraDavidson 
68DefD-Evan ColemanBrown 
69DefDMark FetrowPSU 
70DefD-Kyle McTurkStony Brook 
71DefD-Daniel LareniusAdelphi 
72DefD-Tim PontiusUCSB 
73DefD-Brice CarrGeorge Washington 
74DefD-Yogi SniderIUPUI 
75DefD-Blaine GonsalvesTulsa 
76DefD-Jarrett RobbinsEvansville 
77DefF+Darren O'ConnorDelaware 
78DefF+Brad WalkerKentucky 
79DefF+Cameron WaltersCal Poly 
80DefF+Kevin GarciaVillanova 
81DefF+Rory O'DaySacramento St 
82DefF+Shane JohnsonLongwood 
83DefF+Nicholas HamiltonCal State Northridge 
84DefF+Nick PappasDartmouth 
85DefF+John RaleyProvidence 
86DefF+Greg KlazuraNotre Dame 
87DefF+Patrick ChinBoston College 
88DefF+Tyler KrumpeLoyola-Marymount 
89DefF+Aaron HenkleEvansville 
90DefF+Dan KorenyiLa Salle 
91DefF+Uzi TayouWest Virginia 
92DefF+Tommy WebbOld Dominion 
93DefF+Mike BurkeGeorge Washington 
94DefF+Jason GannonJames Madison 
95DefF+Danny CatesSouth Carolina 
96DefF+Joe BakerSeton Hall 
97DefF+Jherrett MaroneyHartwick 
98DefF+Nick ViaggioSiena 
99DefF+Wei Ming-WongValparaiso 
100DefF+Ian KalisSMU 
101DefFChristian NogueiraMonmouth 
102DefFIbu OtegbeyeGeorgetown 
103DefFAusten KingElon 
104DefFSerigne SyllaStony Brook 
105DefFThomas VaniaMissouri St 
106DefFJames ShuppVirginia Tech 
107DefFAndrew O'BrienCentral Arkansas 
108DefFNik ConklinLong Island 
109DefFNick DundonLa Salle 
110DefFDavid KeyMassachusetts 
111DefFAdam StillSMU 
112DefFRyan DuffyAppalachian State 
113DefFKevin OrozcoSan Francisco 
114DefFMike PicinichEastern Illinois 
115DefFDavid BuckenheimerMissouri St 
116DefFAldo TomaSt Francis (NY) 
117DefFAndy HackbarthYale 
118DefFChris WiddyCS-Bakersfield 
119DefFChristopher PeacosGeorgia State 
120DefFKooten JohnsonWestern Illinois 
121DefFEric WilsonAir Force 
122DefFAyao SossouVMI 
123DefFGemechu AbrahamSan Diego State 
124DefFRaphael MartinezIPFW 
125DefFNicholas ChaseFIU 
126DefFRB AsenimeCentenary 
127DefFDemaci RoussosSeattle 

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