2012 MLS SuperDraft: First-round mock draft (cont.)

A quick history of the MLS draft

Five notorious MLS draft-day choices:

Steve Shak (No. 1 in 2000, MetroStars): He was projected to go in the third or fourth round, and eventually had an OK career -- for a guy selected in the third or fourth round, that is. He played in 38 MLS matches before falling into the lower tiers. But the stumbling, bumbling MetroStars, somehow, made him the shock top selection.

Nikolas Besagno (No. 1 in 2005, Real Salt Lake): He had 18 total MLS appearances before a drop into the game's lower tiers. Enough said.

Chance Myers (No. 1 in 2008, Kansas City): It's still a little early, and he's hardly a "bust." Myers did claim a solid starting spot last year on a good Sporting Kansas City side. But with just 13 starts in his first three seasons, and considering he was a surprise top pick all along, it looks like management outsmarted itself on this one. By the way, the second pick in 2008 was Brek Shea.

Chris Carrieri (No. 1 overall 2001, San Jose): He had a decent professional career, although hardly the stuff of a top MLS draft pick. Carrieri lasted three MLS seasons before falling into lower tiers.

Mehdi Ballouchy (No. 2 in 2008, Real Salt Lake): He's OK, still a role player with the Red Bulls. But Yura Movsisyan, Sacha Kljestan, Dax McCarty, Kei Kamara (and perhaps you could even include Calen Carr) went in the first round after Ballouchy, who has never quite established his place in MLS.

Five lower picks who rose to become something special:

Michael Bradley (No. 36 overall in 2004, MetroStars): Considering what this guy has done in the years since, every team that passed on Bradley should hang its head in shame. (And they should fire any scouts still left over from that time.)

Gonzalo Segares (No. 35 overall in 2005, Chicago Fire): Now a Costa Rican international, he was the league's best left back through much of the late 2000s before leaving for better money in Europe.

Omar Cummings (No. 31 overall in 2007, Colorado Rapids): Don't let a down year in 2011 fool you. Better to consider that 14 goal, 3 assist campaign in 2010, one that ended with an MLS Cup title for his Rapids.

Geoff Cameron (No. 42 overall in 2008, Houston Dynamo): The last pick of the third round, quite anonymous then, is currently in Jurgen Klinsmann's national team camp and has all the tools to be the best American center back in MLS.

Sean Johnson (No. 51 overall in 2010, Chicago): He became Chicago's starter by mid-season as a rookie and he's currently in Klinsmann's ongoing U.S. national team camp.