Top Midfielders
Nakeie Montgomery (Duke)
With a blazing first step, Nakeie Montgomery is set to torch up the PLL turf. Nakeie has been a consistent, dynamic weapon for the Blue Devils over the few years, leveraging his motor and athleticism to blow by defenders. While Montgomery is a prolific scorer (for a midfielder), his passing skills are an underrated aspect of his game.
With Ned Crotty retiring, Nakeie Montgomery would fit quite well on the Chrome, a team desperate for a young, offensive spark at the midfield position. However, Montgomery may not be available if Chrome choose to wait until the second round to pick him and teams like the Atlas, Archers, Redwoods and Whipsnakes could all target Montgomery with their first round picks.
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Likely Landing Spots: Atlas, Archers, Chrome, Redwoods, Whipsnakes
Jonathan Donville (Maryland)
Ontario native Jonathan Donville went #1 in the NLL draft this past year. He’s a fantastic finisher with the best hands in this entire draft class. He shared the field with Jeff Teat at Cornell before transferring to Maryland for his final season. Donville would be a perfect fit for Andy Towers and the Chaos; a system of box-style players who like to spin the ball and get crafty around the crease. Expect Donville to go high in this draft.
Likely Landing Spots: Atlas, Chaos, Redwoods, Whipsnakes
Roman Puglise (Maryland)
A tough, hard hat style SSDM that does it all, Roman Puglise is a strong cover guy that instantly becomes a threat on fast breaks. Hailing from a highly disciplined Terps system, Puglise fits a similar mold as John Haus and Jake Bernhardt (two other Maryland products). I am sure Coach Jim Stagnitta would love to pick up Puglise for the Whipsnakes and have him learn the professional ropes as a second or third D-middie this summer if he falls to them a #7.
Likely Landing Spots: Cannons, Chaos, Whipsnakes
Jack Hannah (Denver)
Bill Tierney refers to Jack Hannah as “the most competitive midfielder I’ve ever coached“. Standing at 6’1, 205 lbs, Hannah is your prototypical Division I midfielder. His play style largely involves dodging from up top and slicing and dicing through defenders using his superior stick skills. With Paul Rabil and Connor Buczek retiring, the Cannons are desperately looking to rebuild their starting midfield line. Jack Hannah is a more than an optimal fit.
Likely Landing Spots: Atlas, Cannons, Chrome
Bubba Fairman (Maryland)
Bubba Fairman started his career at Maryland as one of the top-ranked attackmen of his high school class. However, during his time at College Park, Fairman has been asked to assume a different role, getting shifts at SSDM during this most recent season. His transition to D-middie makes him one of the more versatile draft prospects available and a valuable commodity for his future PLL team. Teams like the Chaos and Whipsnakes will likely target Fairman in hopes of adding to their SSDM staff, while a team like the Waterdogs may view him in a more hybrid midfielder type of role.
Likely Landing Spots: Chaos, Waterdogs, Whipsnakes
Other Notable Midfielders: Brendan Curry, Connor DeSimone, Harrison Bardwell, Jake Higgins, Ryan Hallenbeck, Wheaton Jackaboice
[…] familiarize yourself with the top PLL prospects, be sure to check out Steve Gaglierdi’s 2022 PLL College Draft preview or the latest episode of the Pro Lacrosse Talk […]