At this point everyone knows who the big shots are in this year’s draft, but every year there seems to be a Darrius Barnes or Jonathan Bornstein who comes out of nowhere to have an excellent rookie season. Here are a few of the players I think may be the diamonds in the rough at this year’s MLS draft.

1.    Andrew Hoxie
Hoxie had an excellent combine and had to turn a few heads. Aside from his obvious size, he has a good head for the game, a decent first touch and is faster than you’d expect. He is probably a project, but could be a useful player somewhere down the line. He’s definitely a later pick, but in a few years you may look back at the 2010 draft and wonder how he dropped so far.

2.    Julien Edwards
Edwards was a bit lucky, being invited to the combine, going to an unheralded school like Drake. Their college cup run probably got him an invitation to the combine. While not flashy, Edwards was solid in the back, and showed versatility playing well both out wide and in the center at the back. His performance this year reminds me of Darrius Barnes’ last year.
3.    Martin Hedeveg
Hedeveg is a tricky player to read. If he was American, I’d feel confident in him being on an MLS roster next season. As it is, I don’t know if a Swedish player will be willing to play for a developmental player’s salary. He shows strength and size, and there is a confidence in his play. The major knock on his is his speed, but with an athletic partner, Hedeveg has the potential to be a solid MLSer.
4.    Orede Aiyegbusi
Aiyegbusi impressed me at this year’s combine. Good speed, strong tackling ability and a good touch on the ball. The knock on him is that he’s tiny. The talent is there, but will a team take a chance on him? It’s an all or nothing pick, as Aiyegbusi will impressed greatly or fade into obscurity.
5.    Sammy Appiah
If he was an American you would think he’d be drafted in the first two rounds. The problem is that he plays a position, fullback, where there are a lot of Americans. I could also see him catching on in USL this year and making his way back up to MLS.