Last night, the NLL held their 2020 Entry Draft. For the first time in league history, the draft was virtual. Hosted by Devan Kaney, Teddy Jenner, and Stephen Stamp, the 2020 NLL Entry Draft served as a refreshing potential beginning to the upcoming season.
See Wings’ Head Coach and General Manager preparing for the virtual draft.
Nick Sakiewicz, the NLL Commissioner, set an expectation that the next season would begin in early 2021. Technically, the 2020 season is without a champion. In 2021, the NLL is readying to continue forward with a continuation of sorts from the 2020 regular season. The additions are new rookies that enter the league.
The Philadelphia Wings had eight draft picks in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft. Those picks will include players who can immediately contribute next season with the Wings or some that will finish their college lacrosse careers. They’ll join Ben McIntosh, Brett Hickey, Matt Rambo, Kevin Crowley, and company to push Philadelphia into the NLL playoffs in 2021. Paul Day, Wings head coach, is ready to win now! Crafting his draft class to fit his needs and team chemistry means the Wings are set to take flight.
Jackson Suboch; Round 1, Pick 16
He’s the first player drafted by the reigning Head Coach of the Year and GM of the Year, Paul Day. Out of the University of Massachusetts and Brooklyn Lacrosse Club, Jackson Suboch is a young defenseman to balance an offensive powerhouse Day is building. Suboch is a physical defender who matches the Philadelphia grit characteristic. Coach Day spotted a gem of a defenseman with the Philadelphia Wing’s first-round pick.
Jackson Suboch was on the winning side against top-ranked Yale in 2020. His team also defeated Ohio State earlier in the season. The University of Massachusetts was 5-2 in 2020 due to the abbreviated season. Two notable victories, including one against the nation’s best lacrosse team, is a testament to defensive brilliance with offensive firepower. Suboch should feel at home with the Philadelphia Wings.
Bryan Costabile; Round 2, Pick 34
Here is a selection that offers a little bit of depth. Bryan Costabile is a transition forward, so he’ll be a sort of a project in his rookie campaign. He played more recently at Notre Dame and on the Atlas in the PLL. His ceiling is a high one after his performance at the PLL Championship Series this past summer. Costabile is a two-way player who is already familiar with Matt Rambo and Blaze Riorden in the PLL.
Bryan Costabile averaged two goals per game in 2020 with Notre Dame and added four assists. His fourteen points with Notre Dame in five games was on pace to potentially surpass his best college season. Before 2020, Costabile was a preseason All-American after earning ACC Player of the Year honors in 2019. In one season with the PLL’s Atlas, Costabile notched eight goals and an assist. The Philadelphia Wings have found a goal-scoring forward in the second round.
Dylan Foulds; Round 2, Pick 35
A local product out of Penn State and Fort Coquitlam, Dylan Foulds is the Philadelphia Wings second pick in the second round. After going back-to-back, the Wings chose their second forward. The difference here is that Foulds is not playing a transition role as Bryan Costabile will. Foulds is a very talented player, one that can contribute to Philadelphia’s offensive depth. He’ll be molded by some of the best forwards the NLL has to offer.
Dylan Foulds averaged two points a game with Penn State in 2020. Similar to Bryan Costabile, Foulds is a goal scorer. Each season at Penn State, Foulds’ shots on goal percentage increased. He finished his time at Penn State with a 69.8% shot target. Foulds is a player that brings pinpoint accuracy to box lacrosse.
Ben French; Round 3, Pick 51
Ben French has NLL ties due to his father and brother playing a role in the league. He was a transfer to the University of Vermont and played club lacrosse at Cobourg. The Philadelphia Wings offense played a settled style during 2020. Look for French to contribute to an uptempo style.
Paul Day is familiar with Ben French’s time with Cobourg. He snatched him quickly when the Philadelphia Wings were on the clock in the third round. French could be a replacement for Cory Vitarelli when he decides to retire from the NLL.
Marc Pion; Round 4, Pick 59
Another defenseman added to the Philadelphia Wings. Marc Pion played college lacrosse at Johns Hopkins. In 2020, Pion did not play because he was recovering from off-season surgery but returned to practice before the season ended. Before playing for Johns Hopkins, Pion made the cut at Harvard but did not play due to injury. As an incoming freshman, he was the thirteenth best defenseman in the nation.
Jack Rapine; Round 4, Pick 61
Jack Rapine is another pick from Johns Hopkins in round four. As a defenseman, he started all 48 games since coming to Johns Hopkins in 2017. Before playing at Johns Hopkins, Rapine was on Upper Dublin’s roster. A three-sport athlete at Upper Dublin and two-time US Lacross All-American, Rapine is a prototype defenseman. The Philadelphia Wings struck gold in the fourth round.
John Kit; Round 5, Pick 74
Paul Day took a balanced approach in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft. The Philadelphia Wings drafted their fourth and final defenseman in the fifth round. John Kit, from Western University, is a relative unknown in the fifth round.
Cole Williams; Round 6, Pick 85
Finishing the trio of Johns Hopkins players drafted by the Philadelphia Wings is Cole Williams. He was the fourth forward taken after a three pick drought. The Wings finished with a bang after selecting Williams. He led the team in points and assists while tying the team lead in goals at Johns Hopkins. Williams is a player who could have superstar potential in the final round of the 2020 NLL Entry Draft.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Alex McIntyre
