The Colorado Rapids selected six players in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, focusing on strengthening their roster with a mix of forwards, defenders, and midfielders. The club used its first-round picks to select forward Mamadou Billo Diop (6th overall), forward Mitchell Baker (10th overall), and forward Wahabu Musah (26th overall). In later rounds, they chose defender Asher Hestad (56th overall), midfielder Koven Johnson (70th overall), and defender Jabari De Coteau (86th overall).
In addition to their draft selections, the Rapids made several trades. They acquired the 44th overall pick and $50,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for the 19th overall pick. The club also received $70,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money from FC Dallas by trading away the 40th and 44th picks.
“From a roster-building perspective, we were focused on adding players who fit both our positional needs and our long-term development pathway,” said Director of Player Personnel Brian Crookham. “This group brings a combination of production, versatility, and competitive experience at a high level, and we’re excited about how each player projects within our system as they look to transition into the professional game.”
Mamadou Billo Diop joins after a strong season with Colorado Rapids 2 in MLS NEXT Pro. He was named Player of the Year for his team and earned the Golden Boot by scoring 14 goals with two assists over 1,614 minutes played. His performance included multiple braces and a hat trick, earning him league honors such as Player of the Matchweek in August and MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Month in September. Diop’s contributions helped lead Rapids 2 to win the Western Conference Final and reach their first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Cup final.
Mitchell Baker comes from Georgetown University where he started all matches during his sophomore year. He scored 14 goals with three assists for a total of 31 points. Baker led his conference with five game-winning goals and received several accolades including First Team All-BIG EAST honors, selection as a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week recognition once during the season, three weekly honor roll selections, as well as being named to Georgetown’s conference championship All-Tournament Team.
Wahabu Musah arrives from Clemson University after recording twelve goals across two seasons along with four assists. During his sophomore year he tallied six goals while earning back-to-back All-ACC selections following an earlier spot on the All-Freshman Team in 2024. Musah also received United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Second Team honors this December.
Defender Asher Hestad played for Washington where he appeared in fifteen matches—twelve as starts—during his redshirt freshman campaign totaling over nine hundred minutes on field time including three full games without substitution. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after scoring against Indiana.
Koven Johnson contributed more than two thousand minutes over two seasons at High Point University while establishing himself as a reliable midfielder presence; he previously captained Arsenal FC Pittsburgh at youth level.
Jabari De Coteau has played twenty-four matches across two years at Xavier University helping secure seven shutouts during his sophomore campaign.
The new additions include international players Diop (Senegal), Baker (Australia), Musah (Ghana) alongside domestic talents Hestad (Seattle), Johnson (Pittsburgh), and De Coteau (Brooklyn).
