Major League Rugby held it's very first draft and Old Glory had a chance to make two selections. There were some rumblings about a trade being made, but ultimately the club settled on keeping their picks and there are now two new members on the squad. Here is an analysis of their selections.
Round One: Casey Renaud-Second Row
Old Glory was in desperate need of depth at the lock position, but they got a fantastic selection in Casey Renaud. Renaud had played at Kutztown University and was a big reason for their recent Rugby East League title. He is a two way player as he is great both offensively and defensively and is great in the lineouts. Renaud is 6'8" and 245 lbs, so he brings a lot of size to the lineout set piece. He can play at the Eight if needed.
Round Two: Matthew Gordon-Second Row
Gordon is just another lock added to club for depth, but Gordon has all the abilities to become a star in the league. Gordon has versatility as he can play back row as well and that will come very valuable to the team. In fact, Gordon might as well have been the steal of the draft. Hailing from Scotland and having had a chance to participate in Glasgow Warriors age-grade programs, he has all the smarts and experience the club is looking for. His accomplishments when playing at University of Mary Washington is as follows: In 2018, he was named the D1AA Defensive Player of the Year and led his team to the National Championship over Dartmouth and in 2019, he represented the US All-American Program by starting in the second row against Canada. He is 6'4" and weighs 245 lbs, so it would seem like he will play all over in the forwards and could become a key contributor as soon as 2021.
Grade: A
It's hard to imagine to think that anyone had a better draft than Old Glory did, but the team really knocked it out of the park. Not only did they get more depth in the second row, they also brought in two high quality players whose skill set can allow them to be contributors right away. The two players also bring in versatility which would be helpful as well. Especially after adding lock David Beach this past week, Old Glory just got a lot more deep and talented. It's incredible just how great they did in the draft.
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