Colorado Rapids 2026 SuperDraft Preview

Commerce City, Colo. – The 2026 MLS SuperDraft is this Thursday at 12 noon MT. For the Colorado Rapids, the draft brings another opportunity to build on the existing culture and player depth throughout the first team and Colorado Rapids 2. The Rapids have had success in past draft classes, and the club will once again turn to the college game to identify strong talent to impact the future ecosystem of the club. 

This is one of the biggest priorities for the club. Success this week will help the club in 2026 and beyond.

Colorado have picks in all three rounds, with the #6 overall pick from Toronto, their natural #10 overall pick, the #19 pick from Columbus, and the #26 pick from Philadelphia. They have all of their natural picks and all of Philly’s picks in the second and third rounds (#40, 56, 70, and 86). See the full draft tracker here.

There are several players of note the club has already drafted and could join in 2026, likely on MLS NEXT Pro contracts.

Senior forward from Indiana University, Palmer Ault was selected at the number 34 pick in the 2024 draft while at Butler. This year at Indiana, Ault broke out, and tallied 16 goals and 10 assists in 19 matches. Ault was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and a Mac Hermann Semi-Finalist. If he was available for selection in this draft, he would surely go top ten.

Another player to keep an eye on is Donavan Phillip, a junior international (Saint Lucia) forward from NC State. The Rapids selected Phillip as the number 62 pick in 2025. Another year in college did Phillip well, as he scored 14 goals in his first 13 games, becoming a key part of NC State’s run to the National Championship. Phillip scored three goals in his first four games of the tournament, including a goal in the semi-final to advance to the championship. NC State fell just short of the national title to Washington in overtime on Monday.

The Rapids also selected sophomore midfielder, Matthew Van Horn, from Georgetown last year. Van Horn played 1,200 minutes his sophomore year for the Hoyas and led the Hoyas with six goals and three assists, but this year he was hampered by injury. Van Horn is an exciting prospect for the Rapids to add to the growing potential of young midfield talent. 

In the 2025 draft, the Rapids also acquired the MLS rights to Las Vegas Lights right back, Shawn Smart. Smart appeared in 35 matches during the 2025 USL Championship season and contributed with two goals and one game-winning assist. Smart joined Lights from Clemson University where he won the 2023 National Championship.

While the Rapids have a strong draft class from the past years, the club will look towards the 2026 SuperDraft for players who can culturally fit and continue to strengthen the core of developing Rapids youth talent. Colorado already boasts a stacked talent pool at the MLS Next level and the club’s needs range from defensive improvements to midfield and attacking strengthening. After an impressive Rapids 2 year, where the team fell just short of an MLS Next Pro title in penalties, this year’s draft can further strengthen a very talented Rapids 2 youth. 

Positionally, the Rapids will be looking at fullbacks, more right back than left. It’s unlikely that Rapids will target a winger with Dante Sealy likely joining from Montreal. After fullbacks, the Rapids could look at a center forward or a defensive midfielder. 

One of the first names that could stand out for Colorado is Lasse Kelp, a senior defender from University of Maryland. Kelp is an impressive defender, and as a senior, he was named a Mac Hermann trophy semi-finalist and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Kelp played every minute of the 2025 season and could provide defensive depth. 

Additionally, if the Rapids do decide to target a strong midfielder, sophomore Ransford Gyan from Clemson looks like a very talented choice. Gyan was named as the ACC Midfielder of the Year, a Mac Hermann Trophy semi-finalist, and listed third on the Top Drawer Soccer mid-season watchlist. 

Gyan was also invited to the 2026 MLS College Showcase in Mesa, Az in front of MLS coaches ahead of the draft. In 2025 Gyan scored 8 goals and had 8 assists. Gyan is a very talented midfield option for the Rapids, and it’s likely other MLS clubs also have their eye on him. 

For the later rounds, there are several other names to look out for. North Carolina right back Luka Nikolai could be a target. Originally from Germany, Nikolai was a standout for UNC. Also, left back Aidan Martin from Cornell could be on the radar following in the footsteps of Cornell forward Alex Harris, who was drafted by the Rapids as a Generation Adidas (GA) player last year. Cornell junior midfielder Connor Miller was a Rapids youth player and could come out as a Homegrown as well. Originally from Centennial, Colorado, in 2024, Miller scored 4 goals, with 9 assists leading the Ivy League in assists. 

The 2026 Superdraft is once again an important date for the Rapids front office, as they look to strengthen Rapids 2 and continue to build for the first team. With picks in all three rounds, the Rapids will make the most of the draft as the preparation for the 2026 season begins. 

With many draft picks and assets, look for them to potentially move up as well inside the top five, especially if the GA class is small.

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