Union Draft Yields Unsurprising Results

(Photo by Double G Media)

While it’s tough to say the Philadelphia Union had the worst draft of all teams, it should be called out that it was not a great one. They could not have had the worst draft because some teams didn’t even have a draft pick (looking at you LA Galaxy).

The Union selected forward Marcus Epps at pick 25 and defender Aaron Jones at pick 33. The Union traded up to get the 25th pick and then used it on someone they probably could have taken with their later 33rd pick. However, the Union front office seem to be content with their choices.

“Marcus is a tall, fast player with a great ability on the ball to play one-v-one, and we’re pleased that we were able to trade up to select him.,” said Sporting Director Earnie Stewart. “Aaron, meanwhile, is a very smart, intelligent defender who has a great understanding of the game.”

I am earnestly against doling out draft grades, especially in MLS, due to the all the variables throughout the season. More times than not, the higher touted draft picks haven’t quite worked out to be league starters. However, the Union made some head scratching decisions with the players that were still on the board. Not that Epps is a bad pick since he played in a professional system at South Florida – but there were quite a few players ahead of him on most draft boards. The Union may have missed out on players like Francis de Vries or Walker Hume.

Jones is another head scratcher, but in a different way. At pick 33, he was definitely in the player pool that can compete for time on most MLS squads. The confusing part is that he is a right back, the same position that the Union have Keegan Rosenberry at. Rosenberry set Rookie records last year for minutes played.

So was it a total flop? Absolutely not. The Union came away with two kids that will most likely get their shot to get minutes and appearances, however the picks were not what most people would call the usual tidy piece of business we’re used to with Earnie Stewart and Jim Curtin.

Who am I to say though? Until he proves us otherwise, I will continue to put my faith in Earnie.