In our last positional preview of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, we look at the forwards. This is a position that can prove to be a great difference maker at any club, and while this year’s class is thin in depth, the top of the list has one of the best players in the draft. Creighton forward Fabian Herbers was a late addition to the Generation Adidas class, but projects to be among the biggest impact players available.
We spoke with J.R. Eskilson from TopDrawerSoccer.com about the crop of forwards and while Herbers can make this draft memorable for the team that selects him, his play alone won’t define the class of forwards.
“Herbers is there, but he’s only one player,” Eskilson laughed.
Herbers had a remarkable 15 goals and 17 assists in 23 matches for the Final Four-bound Blue Jays. In three seasons, he finished his college career with 28 goals and 29 assists in 62 matches for a competitive team. However, exactly where he fits on the field at the professional level could prove a difficult question to answer, but one that could yield great results if the riddle can be solved.
“There are some Big East coaches that think Herbers will be better in the league than Josh Yaro. He can do so much for a team,” Eskilson said. “He can get the ball at his feet and go at people, but he doesn’t have that pace. He has that strength to him. Maybe you have to change him into a target forward, but I don’t think that fits his game. I think his ideal scenario is a big forward who can run off people. I think it will take him time to get into an MLS team that works to fit his skills correctly.”
Some other players who could prove successful in varying roles include winger Michael Gamble and strong-on-the-ball Ben Polk, who draws comparisons to Dom Dwyer for reasons beyond his English upbringing. However, like Dwyer, he could take some seasoning at the USL level to reach those heights.
“You’re kind of scratching the bottom of the barrel,” Eskilson said of the class beyond Herbers. “These are players that I think are going to need time in the USL just to get up to the pace of professional soccer.”
To read more of Top Drawer Soccer’s coverage of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, click here.
Fabian Herbers, Creighton, 22, 6-0, 165
Career: 62 GP, 57 GS, 28 G, 29 A
2015: 23 GP, 23 GS, 15 G, 17 A
Michael Gamble, Wake Forest, 22, 5-7, 150
Career: 60 GP, 51 GS, 24 G, 20 A
2015: 14 GP, 11 GS, 6 G, 2 A
Michael Salazar, UC-Riverside/Cal Baptist, 23, 5-11, 165
Career: 75 GP, 60 GS, 25 G, 16 A
2015: 19 GP, 18 GS, 6 G, 3 A
Ben Polk (Pictured), Syracuse/Herkimer College, 23, 5-9, 175
Career: 57 GP, 56 GS, 58 G, 10 A
2015: 23 GP, 22 GS, 12 G, 4 A
