The 2026 MLS SuperDraft is scheduled for Thursday, December 18. The event will be tracked live on MLSsoccer.com, and the Colorado Rapids will provide updates on their social media channels as selections are made. A full recap of the draft will be available on ColoradoRapids.com after the event concludes.
This year, the Colorado Rapids have eight picks in the draft. They hold four selections in the first round, two in the second round, and two in the third round. Their first-round picks include No. 6 (acquired from Toronto FC), No. 10, No. 19 (acquired from Columbus Crew), and No. 26 (acquired from Philadelphia Union). The second-round picks are No. 40 and No. 56 (from Philadelphia Union), while their third-round selections are No. 70 and No. 86 (also from Philadelphia Union).
The Rapids obtained some of these picks through trades with other clubs. The No. 6 pick was acquired from Toronto FC in exchange for approval to hire former members of the Rapids technical staff. The No. 19 pick came along with $200,000 in General Allocation Money from Columbus Crew in exchange for a 2025 International Roster Slot. Picks Nos. 26, 56, and 86 were received from Philadelphia Union as part of a deal that also included $350,000 in General Allocation Money and additional future draft picks.
Eligibility rules for this year’s SuperDraft allow college sophomores and juniors to be selected—a rule introduced last year—as well as any former college player who left school with remaining eligibility since last season to play professionally in domestic leagues such as USL, NISA, or CPL.
Eligible players include collegiate sophomores and above, Generation adidas players, former college players who left school since the end of the previous college season to compete domestically as professionals, and others specifically made available by MLS.
Several current Rapids players entered MLS through previous drafts: Keegan Rosenberry was selected third overall by Philadelphia Union in 2016; Ian Murphy was picked fourteenth by FC Cincinnati in 2022; Wayne Frederick was chosen second overall by Colorado Rapids in 2023; Kimani Stewart-Baynes went fourth overall to Colorado Rapids in 2023; Alex Harris was selected fourth overall by Colorado Rapids in 2024.
The draft consists of three rounds with ten-minute breaks between rounds. Each team has four minutes per selection and may take a three-minute timeout before choosing a player. If a team does not make its pick within the allotted time, it must wait until after the next club’s selection before submitting its choice.
Fans can follow updates during the draft on X (@ColoradoRapids), Instagram (@coloradorapids), and Facebook (@coloradorapids).
