Complete Recap of San Diego Seals 2018 NLL Draft
Round 2, 17th overall (from Buffalo Bandits): Graydon Bradley, Transition, Coquitlam
The Seals acquired this pick from the Bandits by trading Expansion Draft pick Bryan Sweeting in exchange for Ethan Scott and a second-round pick. This pick was used to select Bradley, a well-known player form the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse Association. Bradley was acquired by Coquitlam as the team was making it’s final push for the Minto Cup and made good on the trade, helping guide the team to the championship win.
In the playoffs, Bradley proved his worth by scoring 2 goals and 4 assists, and it is this performance that boosted his draft stock. While he may not be an immediate starter, he will provide solid depth and experience for a young San Diego squad.
Round 3, 27th overall: Derek Lloyd, Transition, Stony Brook
San Diego traded the 26th overall pick as well as a 3rd round pick in the 2021 Draft to New England in exchange for forward Kyle Buchanan and the 33rd overall pick in the draft. Now without their last 2nd round pick, the Seals would instead wait a few minutes to select Lloyd in the third round. A durable transition player, Lloyd played in every game for the Western Lacrosse Association Victoria Shamrocks.
Lloyd didn’t exactly light up the box score at Stony Brook (5 points and 3 goals in 10 games), but he is a grinder and will fight for every play. He is a rugged defenseman with experience in a professional league and the Seals hope he will add some fire to the defense.
With the 27th overall selection, the Seals select Derek Lloyd! #NLLDraft pic.twitter.com/lpIDM5Rzpk
— San Diego Seals (@SealsLax) September 26, 2018
Round 3, 33rd overall (from New England Black Wolves): Connor Kelly, Forward, Maryland
The pick received in the earlier-mentioned trade, Kelly is the third Connor drafted by San Diego, and for good measure as well. A sharp-shooter on the field, Kelly led Maryland in every offensive category in 2018 (46 goals, 36 assists, and 82 points) and helped guide the team to the NCAA Champion’s Weekend where they fell to Duke in the semi-finals.
While the transition from field lacrosse to box lacrosse could prove to be tricky (as it will be for a majority of players in the same boat as Kelly), scouts across the league seem confident in his vision and overall offensive skills as well as his will to share the ball (his 36 assists his senior was 10 more than his amount his junior year). Kelly is a high-ceiling pick who, should he make a successful transition to indoor, and will be a steal for the Seals.
With the 33rd overall pick, the Seals select Connor Kelly! #NLLDraft pic.twitter.com/gfrkjrz6Od
— San Diego Seals (@SealsLax) September 26, 2018
Round 3, 38th overall: Jules Heningburg, Forward, Rutgers
Coming out of Rutgers is Heningburg, who finished second in school history with 201 total points. Heningburg is a durable forward who led his team with 37 goals, 35 assists and 72 points on the season as they finished with a 9-6 record. Thanks to his skills, Rutgers was able to land some big wins, including defeats of #12 Syracuse and #17 Lehigh, while narrowly losing to #1 Maryland by one goal.
#RUMLax senior Jules Heningburg checked in at number 7 on @SportsCenter Top 10 Plays with this highlight-reel goal in the win over Michigan! #SCTop10 #B1GLax pic.twitter.com/YA7A2tyX8d
— Rutgers Men's LAX (@RUmlax) April 9, 2018
Heningburg acts like a quarterback on the field, slinging accurate passes and spreading the ball out on the field to increase the tempo. He is comfortable feeding passes to teammates who are wide open but isn’t afraid to make some plays himself as the above video shows. He may not start for the Seals immediately, but he will get reps in at training camp to prepare for indoor lacrosse.
Round 4, 41st overall: Austin Divitcos, Forward, Rutgers
The team captain at Rutgers, Divitcos didn’t provide much on the offense as he was a short-stick defensive player. He was, however, the fifth overall pick for the Brooklyn Redman with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 Major Series Lacrosse league thanks to athletic prowess.
Divitcos will face an uphill battle to make the Seals 19-man roster, but if he can complete an indoor crash course in training camp, but he adds some intriguing potential to the roster.
Round 4, 50th overall (from Saskatchewan Rush): Zach Bryant, Defense, Robert Morris
Acting as a defensive pest on the #14 Robert Morris Colonials, Bryant led the team in caused turnovers with 37 on the season. He played all 18 games on the defense while fetching 36 ground balls and 5 total points. The defender was named to the Inside Lacrosse Third Team All-American, proving his worth in his senior season.
Bryant faces the same situation as Divitcos as both are talented and athletic defenders, but it is hard to tell who has the edge in the fight for a spot. Training camp should shed more light on who has the potential lead for a spot.
Round 4, 52nd overall: Zac Christianson, Defense, Robert Morris
San Diego used their final fourth-round pick to draft Bryant’s teammate in Christianson from Robert Morris. Like his teammate, he played in all 18 games for the Colonials and was a threat more on the defense than the offense, causing 24 turnovers and getting 37 ground balls. On offense, he managed 4 total points.
With plenty of other defensemen on the team, it will be hard for Christianson to earn a spot on the roster. His skills on the defense and his ability to translate to indoor lacrosse will be the deciding factor on him earning a spot.
Round 5, 53rd overall: Sean Mayle, Defense, Denver
The fifth-round pick for the Seals played in six games for the University of Denver before a technicality with a course forced Mayle to miss the remainder of the season due to academic ineligibility. He was still the number six overall pick in the semi-professional Major League Lacrosse league by the Chesapeake Bayhawks. Playing long stick midfield, his college career consists of 120 ground balls and forced 21 turnovers with 14 points on the offense.
Mayle is a very versatile player, having played as a short stick midfielder in high school before making a position change in college and has been described as unselfish and a bright spot in the locker room. His versatility will be a great boon to his chances of sticking with the Seals for the season.
Round 6, 65th overall: Jake Cook, Defense, Providence
A two-sport athlete in high school, Cook appeared in 33 total games for Providence. The defender had a total of 34 ground balls in his career while forcing 18 turnovers, and scored 10 total points on the offense. He is certainly a long shot to receive playing time considering the rest of the players picked around him, but he could be a diamond in the rough with a good training camp.
I am currently attending San Diego State University while working on achieving a major in journalism. At SDSU, I write for The Daily Aztec while also hosting the sports radio show “Picked Off”, for KCR Radio. A loyal fan of San Diego sports, I hope to bring content that you will enjoy reading.