(Cover Design by Matt Cain)
By: Stephen Stamp
The 2024 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft is almost upon us. NLL GMs will gather by their computers Sunday for a virtual draft in which they will select 85 players upon which they hope to build future championships.
Let's be honest: This is not a strong draft. There are only a handful of players who would be considered likely first-round picks in most years. What the 2024 draft does include is loads of solid players, some of whom will rise to the level of the pro game and show that they were underrated coming into the draft. The secret for teams is to figure out who those players are and nurture them into future stars.
Philadelphia is on the clock. Will they make an American the first overall pick for the first time since the Rochester Knighthawks took Casey Powell at the top of the 1998 draft? And if they do, can Brennan O'Neill emulate the Hall of Fame career that Powell fashioned?
To the picks.
1. Philadelphia Wings
Brennan O'Neill, LF — Duke
No team added more in the Panther City dispersal draft than the Wings. They got goalie Nick Damude, which freed them up to acquire righty forward Phil Caputo and defender Liam Patten from Ottawa (as well as a 2027 first rounder) by trading away incumbent starter Zach Higgins. They also selected defenders Tony Malcom and Connor Sellars.
That is a whole lot of improvement to the roster for a team that thought they would finish with a far better record than the 6-12 with which they wound up. The Wings probably also didn't think that Colorado was going to finish last—thus gifting Philadelphia the first overall pick—when they dealt Taggart Clark to New York (now Ottawa) for the first rounder this year that the Riptide had acquired from the Mammoth. But that's how things played out. And did you notice that the Wings added pieces in the dispersal draft and trade shortly thereafter at every position except lefty forward?
The big question about O'Neill has not been how good he could be, but whether he will be committed to playing in the NLL. Philly's actions certainly suggest that they are confident O'Neill is in. His combination of size and skill is elite and rare. He has the potential to be a franchise-defining player.
2. Toronto Rock
Sam English, RF — Oakville Rock MSL & Princeton
In 2016, the Rock had the second pick in the draft. They used it to select a player who had suited up for the Oakville Rock in Major Series Lacrosse and impressed the coaching and management staff with his versatile skill. Taking Challen Rogers worked out pretty well for them.
I'm not saying that English will have the same kind of pro career as Rogers, who is now the Rock's captain and is recognized as one of the best all-around players in the NLL. Toronto is comfortable with what they have seen from him over the past couple of summers, though, to add the talented and athletic English to their right side.
Interestingly, he will be dueling for floor time and touches with Oakville teammate Josh Dawick. A comparison of their summer scoring lines, including regular season and playoff games:
- Dawick – 12 games, 13G,33A, 46 points
- English – 14 games, 14G, 17A, 31 points
English will have another year to develop before hitting the NLL; he has another grad transfer year at Syracuse.
3. Georgia Swarm
Mike Grace, LD — Brooklin Lacrosse Club, Canada East WJLC & RIT (Syracuse in '25)
The Swarm roster is in pretty good shape, with quality and depth at all positions. That means they can use the first of their three first-round picks on whatever player intrigues them most. For me, that would be Grace.
Grace is probably the most pro-ready player in the draft, even though he won't be coming to the NLL till the 2026 season since he is doing a grad transfer year at Syracuse. He is athletic and talented enough that Canada added him to their roster for the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship. In the box game, he has proven to be a difficult defender to play against. Grace did not get to showcase himself this summer; he partially tore his PCL before he could head to New Westminster, where he was planning to play with the Sr A Salmonbellies. He probably could have played but decided to take the cautious approach and rehab the injury to be ready for his arrival at 'Cuse.
(Photo Courtesy of Victoria Shamrocks)
4. Vancouver Warriors
Trent DiCicco LT — Victoria Shamrocks WLA & Ohio State
Vancouver faces the twin challenge of finding a player who can help them, along with considering building depth so they can withstand parting with some quality pieces if the Christian Del Bianco trade that we all think is going to happen does come to fruition. With Zach Currier and Shane Simpson gone, and if Del Bianco heads out of town as well, Calgary may be looking at a change to their style of play. But the running game has been a defining feature of Roughnecks' lacrosse for years. If they are going to keep running, they'll need to add some zip. DiCicco has that, and he has been reinforcing his case to be picked high with his performance at the Mann Cup. So he could be excellent trade bait in a CDB deal or could replace an asset that the Warriors have to give up if that deal happens. Or, not incidentally, DiCicco would just be a great addition to Vancouver's lineup.
(Photo Courtesy of Shelley Fey)
5. Calgary Roughnecks
Luca Antongiovanni RD — Coquitlam Adanacs Sr A & North Carolina
With a nice blend of athleticism, skill and grit, Antongiovanni stood out every time he played for the Adanacs in Jr A. He is a defensive leader who can contribute in transition and shows a high lacrosse IQ. Antongiovanni was probably even higher on most draft boards a year ago, but he is still one of the top prospects in this draft class.
Oddly enough, a lefty would probably be more in line with Calgary's needs, while a righty could suit near future needs in Vancouver. Maybe switching these two out becomes part of the above-mentioned deal—again, if it happens.
6. Saskatchewan Rush
Jonathan Peshko RF — Mimico Moutaineers Jr A, Canada WJLC & Johns Hopkins
The Rush have decent depth all over the floor but, given that they missed the playoffs last year, will be looking to add quality depth wherever they can. Make no mistake, Saskatchewan was close, and with a year more experience for some of their younger players plus the addition of Matt Hossack and Evan Messenger in the dispersal draft, they should be better. Realistically, though, just about every team will be a bit better after getting someone from PCLC.
Peshko could help make a difference for the Rush. He stands 6-4 and weighs 200-plus pounds, has good hands and a solid lacrosse IQ. Until the last few days, many insiders saw Peschko going third to Georgia. I think taking Mike Grace is a better idea there for the Swarm, but that change could wind up being a boon for the Rush if Peshko falls to them.
7. Buffalo Bandits
Brayden Mayea LF — St. Catharines Athletics Jr A & High Point
Is Mayea the next Brett Hickey? Like Hickey, ripped it up with the Jr B Windsor Clippers. Mayea bettered Hickey's best Jr B season by 10 goals, putting up 60 with the Clippers in 2018. Unlike Hickey, Mayea moved up to Jr A rather than remaining in B throughout his junior career. That will undoubtedly lead to Mayea being drafted significantly higher than the 43rd spot where the Washington Stealth got a steal on Hickey in 2011. Mayea hasn't played a lot of box since the 2021 OJLL bubble season, though, so it is a challenge to determine how committed he is to playing indoors and whether he will ever challenge Hickey's feat of also having a 50-goal season in the NLL.
8. Buffalo Bandits
Remo Schenato LD — Coquitlam Adanacs Jr A
Someone that big shouldn't be that fast. Schenato looks like a classic stay-at-home defender when you see him patrolling the defensive zone, but then you see the 6-4, 230-pounder take off up the floor and realize he has substantial transition skills. Schenato helped the Adanacs win this year's Minto Cup as part of a deep, athletic and well-coached defensive unit. He scored 32 points in 36 BCJALL games over the last two seasons. Schenato also suited up for half a dozen regular season games with the Black Fish of the Arena Lacrosse League West and scored five goals. Then, to cap the ALL season, he posted a hat trick to lead the club to a 16-11 win in the championship-clinching game, wrapping a run of 8 points (4G, 4A) in three playoff games.
I think Jacob Power could be a strong consideration here. In the end, Schenato has an edge with his greater size and physicality, which suit the Big Bad Bandits famous style of play. Also, having played this entire summer and showcasing his game in the Minto Cup makes it easier to generate a comprehensive evaluation of Schenato.
9. Georgia Swarm
Jacob Power RT — Nanaimo Timbermen Sr A & Belmont Abbey
Before Luca Antongiovanni officially entered the draft on Monday, I had Power going quite a bit higher in the draft. His fall could stop with Georgia, even though I see the Swarm having taken another defender with the third pick in Mike Grace.
Power missed more than half of this season with a broken wrist and nose suffered far from the lacrosse floor, which limited his opportunities to showcase himself with the Timbermen this summer. He was playing well before the injuries, though, and they won't have an impact on his play, meaning he is ready to hit the NLL turf and start picking off passes and generating chances in transition. There is some risk in picking Power, given that he missed all the 2023 season and over half of 2024 with injuries. Consider that his former coach cites Ryan Dilks as a comparable for Power's playing style, and you see why that risk could be well worth the potential reward Power provides.
10. Halifax Thunderbirds
Zach Thompson LF — Clearview Crushers Sr B & Newberry
Thompson was a key piece of the Peterborough Jr A Lakers before being traded to Burlington during the Blaze's push for the Minto Cup in 2023. There, he played a depth role with aplomb as he helped the Blaze capture the title. That kind of experience can be valuable for a player in showing that he can be effective when he isn't one of the featured offensive weapons. Thompson has the skill and lacrosse IQ to make his mark in the NLL.
11. Georgia Swarm
Colby Bowman G — Nanaimo Timbermen Sr A & Walsh University
Many teams would not mind trading a first-round pick this year for one in one of the three upcoming drafts, all of which are substantially stronger than this one. Count the Swarm among that group; with a solid roster and three first-round picks, using them all this year is a luxury they certainly wouldn't mind cashing in for future alternatives. It isn't easy to make such trades, though, given that everyone knows how loaded with talent the next few drafts are.
So if Georgia winds up using all three of their firsts this year, it makes sense to go for the top goalie in the class. They got their long-term starter, Brett Dobson, at 11th overall in 2022. With the same pick two years later they could get a solid backup. The Swarm already have an excellent backup in Angus Goodleaf, who is a great team guy and performs very well when pressed into relief duty. Goodleaf, though, will turn 38 during the coming season, so having a succession plan in place is a good idea.
12. San Diego Seals
Denton Macdonald LD — Victoria Shamrocks WLA & Bellarmine
While Trent DiCicco is deservedly getting loads of attention for his play at the Mann Cup, another Victoria defender is reinforcing why he is a strong candidate to go high in this draft. Macdonald shifted from offense to defense when he moved up to the senior Shamrocks. He was an adept facilitator as a forward. Now his forte is finding loose balls, but Macdonald still makes good use of his good floor vision and smooth hands when he gets out in transition.
(Photo Courtesy of USA Lacrosse)
13. Toronto Rock
Patrick McIntosh LF — Dragons CACBLL & Virginia
I'm not saying that McIntosh will come up to Canada and replicate the impact that Tom Schreiber has had on the Rock; Schreiber is a unicorn in terms of how quickly and completely he became a force moving from field to box. But McIntosh has more box experience than Schreiber did when he was signed by Toronto and has shown an ability to absorb and apply box lacrosse lessons quickly.
McIntosh helped lead USA White to the gold medal in last fall's LAXNAI tournament. He meshed well with teammates like Blaze Riorden, Joey Spallina and CJ Kirst. Only Spallina scored more than McIntosh's 10 points, and McIntosh looked more comfortable and more dangerous with every game he played.
The Rock have a strong left side, but Corey Small turns 38 and Mark Matthews turns 35 during the coming season. Now is a good time to take a shot on a player who is a bit of a project but has huge long-term potential to take on a significant role down the road.
14. San Diego Seals
Lukas Nielsen RF — New Westminster Salmonbellies Jr A
The Seals are pretty loaded on the right side after signing Rob Hellyer and Ben McIntosh as free agents to pair with returning stars Wesley Berg and Tre Leclaire. They also drafted Callum Crawford in the PCLC dispersal, although he declined the franchise tag and has yet to sign with San Diego. If Crawford does wind up joining the team, he wouldn't be the only 40-year-old on the offense; lefty Ryan Benesch hits that marker next January. The rest of the right side is not exactly young, either. While none is older than 33, Berg, Hellyer and McIntosh are all in their 30s. They may all have years of productive lacrosse left, but it's always a good idea to have young legs in the pipeline.
With a year of junior remaining, Nielsen has plenty of time that could be spent effectively on the practice squad to turn the potential he showed with a 50-goal season in New West into pro readiness.
15. Buffalo Bandits
Jackson Raposo RT — Brooklin Lacrosse Club Sr A & Johns Hopkins
I have the Bandits taking Remo Schenato earlier in the round; he brings size to the Buffalo lefty defenders. Among the righties, though, they are already pretty darned big with the likes of Steve Priolo, Nick Weiss, Paul Dawson, Matt Spanger and Zach Belter. Raposo is smaller, but at a listed 5-9 and 175 pounds he plays with the heart and spirit of a bigger guy. Raposo managed to be effective with BLC in his first year of senior lacrosse after having been key part of the Toronto Beaches' run to participating in their first ever Minto Cup in 2022. His production that summer included 22 goals and 40 points in the regular season, followed by another 10 goals and 15 points in 15 playoff and Minto games.
(Photo Courtesy of OJLL)
16. Saskatchewan Rush
Jake Darlison LD — Whitby Warriors Jr A
After playing an important but supporting role with the Minto Cup champion Warriors in 2022, Darlison was one of the team's leaders the last two summers. He is a defender but has a knack for producing in transition and even stayed up for fairly regular offensive shifts in 2024. He scored more than 20 points in three straight years.