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MLS Draft 2015: Orlando City Selects Conor Donovan with No. 22 Pick

Lions get a potential center back of the future, taking North Carolina State freshman star Conor Donovan with the first pick of the second round.

By Michael Citro
US Soccer

Orlando City SC continued its strong inaugural MLS SuperDraft by taking North Carolina defender Conor Donovan, a standout Generation Adidas prospect at center back.

He's the second youngest player in the draft pool, coming out of college after his freshman season. He is currently playing for the U-20 USMNT in Jamaica in the CONCACAF Championships, where he is teammates with Lions right back Tyler Turner.

Donovan made 15 appearances for North Carolina State in his freshman season, scoring one goal and adding an assist. A Fuquay-Varina, NC, native, the 6-foot-2, 176-pound Donovan trained with both the U.S. U-18 and U-20 youth national teams, scoring three international goals in more than 30 caps.

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He is no stranger to Florida, having attended the U-17 USMNT Residency Program in Bradenton.

The Lions will be able to bring Donovan along slowly, develop his game, and get him to bulk up a little. As a center back, he fills an area of need, even though he probably won't be able to contribute immediately. You can never have enough good center backs, so this was a solid selection.

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