Here we go!

We’re just under two months out from one of the biggest dates on the NLL off-season calendar. According to our friend, Stephen Stamp, the 2025 NLL Draft is set to take place on Sept 6, with the draft being virtual for the second consecutive year.

This draft will feature some big names off the top of the board, with a number of Canadian National Champions ready to make the jump to pro. But the board will almost surely be headlined by an American dynamo for the second straight year.

These prospects are in alphabetical order for the moment; we’ll whittle down our big board as we get closer to draft day. This is just a primer to get you set with the initial names to watch. The list of prospects will get larger as we near the draft, as there are always several names that renounce their college eligibility to go pro after the National Championships are done. So please, keep your eyes peeled for new content as we head into draft day.

Thank you again to Corporal at Swarm It Up, who’s always staying as up to date as possible on everything surrounding the NLL Draft. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the countless hours that’s put in on that site.

With all that said, let’s hop into the top forwards available in this year’s draft!

Liam Aston, RF, Guelph & Toronto (OJLL)

Caught up in the Beaches roster saga last summer, Aston was forced to go and finish his 2024 season out west with the Nanaimo Timbermen in the BCJALL. He led the team in scoring in the playoffs, putting up eight goals and 13 points in four games.

He’s returned East to finish up his junior career with the Beaches, opposite longtime Nepean running mate Willem Firth. Aston finished the OJLL regular season with 55 assists and 78 points while playing in all 20 games for the Beaches.

Aston stands at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, and displays strength and athleticism in equal parts out of the front gate. He’s got a deceptive first step that gets defenders off balance, and he’s got a strong outside shot. His end of the summer will determine where he lands in this draft class, but as a CUFLA product, he’s poised to join this class and be in an NLL training camp in the fall.

Nolan Byrne, LF, Whitby (OJLL)

Byrne made the jump from Junior B to the OJLL last summer with the Brampton Jr Excelsiors, and he finished as a finalist for the league’s MVP.

A 2004-born lefty, Byrne was moved to Whitby for his final year of junior, and he’s lit it up again, alongside Lucas Littlejohn, posting 94 points in the regular season — good for third in the OJLL this summer.

The Greely, Ontario native has a pro-ready frame, standing at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, and he’s got the strength and athleticism to be in a lineup right away, given the right situation. Byrne will forego his remaining NCAA eligibility to enter the draft, and he’ll be one of the forwards to watch in the first round.

Photo: David Pickering/Peterborough Lakers

Ty English, LF/T, North Carolina & Oakville (MSL)

English can do it all on the floor. The younger brother of 2024 second-overall pick Sam, Ty made his mark with the Burlington Blaze as a transition threat.

He flashed on both ends in 2023, finishing with over a goal a game and 45 points in 17 outings. He added 14 goals and 37 points in the playoffs and nine points in five Minto Cup games.

English has also excelled with the Oakville Rock in the MSL. He had 14 points in nine games last summer and has 13 goals in as many games, along with 30 points this summer.

He likely begins as a player out of the back gate to start his NLL career, but a team can plug and play English wherever, and he’ll be a threat for them. He’s an amazing athlete who’s played both ends of the floor in high-stakes situations. With his brother being taken by Toronto early last year, English is one of the players who will be in the mix to go with one of the Rock’s top three picks.

Owen Hiltz, LF, Syracuse & Peterborough (MSL)

Hiltz has long been considered a top talent, and despite him not spending as much time as others playing box over the last few years, he should be a first-rounder in this draft.

The Peterborough, Ontario product stands at 5-foot-8, 186 pounds and is a skilled playmaker who can free up his hands and hammer the ball when he has time to step into a shot. He was able to post nearly two points per game last summer with the Sr. Lakers in the MSL, showing his prowess playing with and against NLL competition.

Hiltz is playing in the PLL this year with Carolina, so we likely see him indoors before the draft, but a team towards the back of the first round could look to bring him in with his ability and ceiling.

CJ Kirst, LF, Cornell & Mimico (OJLL)

Kirst is poised to make it back-to-back Americans taken with the first overall pick, joining Brennan O’Neill.

The latest member of the Kirst family to join the pro ranks, CJ strayed from his brothers and played a summer in the OJLL with Mimico two years ago, where he spent time everywhere on the floor. He mainly played up front, but also took draws, and he showed his ability and willingness to do anything to win with the Mountaineers.

Of course, Kirst has done everything there is to do in the collegiate field game, helping Cornell to a National Championship this year while also becoming the NCAA’s all-time goals leader in the process.

Kirst will almost certainly be playing in Toronto in the future, and the lefty will make an immediate impact this season on a veteran team.

Dante Kulas, RF, Rutgers & Cobourg (MSL)

Kulas was able to be a consistent contributor in Junior A towards the end of his career. After a 2023 summer with Brampton, where he had 54 points in 12 games, he was shipped to Okotoks. He had 19 points in four games before posting 10 goals and 23 points in seven postseason outings.

Playing for Owen Sound last summer, Kulas had over two points per game, including 18 assists in 11 showings. He has 18 points in 11 games playing for Cobourg this summer.

Kulas is likely more of a player who could go at the end of the first round or into the second, but he’s a solid talent who has been a proven producer against NLL competition in summer ball.

Will MacLeod, LF, Guelph & Brooklin (MSL)

MacLeod is another early declaration in this draft. The lefty has decided that he will forego his senior season at Robert Morris to play in CUFLA with Guelph while playing in the pro ranks.

Another member of the Burlington 2023 Minto Championship team, MacLeod has made his mark as a distributor, having 50 and 75 in his final two years in the OJLL. His 111 points were a career high, and he’s carried that momentum into his first MSL season, where he has 33 points with the Brooklin Lacrosse Club this summer.

MacLeod will also see action in the President’s Cup with the host Brooklin Merchants to end the summer, alongside Saris and Marinier.

While his bread and butter has been moving the rock, MacLeod has also played alongside some elite scorers. He’s equally skilled at scoring himself, and he’ll be able to showcase that at the next level.

Noah Manning, RF, Denver & Nanaimo (WLA) - AY

For years, Noah Manning has been the cream of the crop in terms of offensive talents in the British Columbia lacrosse circuit.

Coming off a dominant showing at the 2024 Minto Cup with the champion Coquitlam Adanacs, where he finished second in tournament points (8-19-27 in 5 games), Manning has also proven to be productive against older, more refined defences at the Senior A level this summer.

A true sharp shooter, Manning also possesses a nose for the cage and can distribute the ball with the best of them, making the University of Denver product one of the most dynamic offensive players in this draft.

Alex Marinier, RF, Ohio State & Cobourg (MSL)

The mantle of best shooter in the draft is usually subjective, but Marinier is certainly one of the top three in this year's class who can absolutely bomb it from the outside.

His 2023 season was outstanding with Burlington, putting up 49 goals and 95 points in the regular season before having 27 goals and 54 points in 14 playoff outings. That helped the Blaze to the Minto Cup, where he had 11 goals and 18 points in five games to help his squad to a National Championship.

At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Marinier excels at all aspects of the offensive game, but his shot is heavy and he can let it fly from every angle, making him a tough read for opposing goaltenders. Add in his physicality and athleticism and he’s going to be a high pick in this year’s draft.

Kean Moon, RF, Robert Morris & Coquitlam (WLA)

There are few Albertan-born lacrosse players as shifty, silky, and outright talented as Kean Moon.

In 2023, Moon led the RMLL in goals with 29 in 15 games and drew a lot of eyes with some dazzling goals and jaw-dropping assists at the 2023 Minto Cup that same year.

The righty has flourished in his sophomore WLA season too, posting three points per game (17-19-36 in 12 games) and rapidly becoming a reliable fixture on the Coquitlam Adanacs’ right side, indicating that despite his slight frame, he can compete against larger defenders.

Isiah Moran-Weekes, LF, High Point & Owen Sound (MSL)

Moran-Weekes was truly one of the unsung heroes of a Mimico squad that came within a game of going to the Minto last summer.

The Ottawa product had a career-best 69-point campaign in 2023 with the Mountaineers, and despite having more mouths to feed in 2024, he still had 22 goals and 55 points in 19 games. He followed that up with 54 points in 14 playoff games,

Moran-Weekes is very reminiscent of another Ottawa product, Kyle Buchanan. He’s a smaller frame, but is extremely smart and frequently finds soft spots in the defence. He’s also dynamite near the net and does all the small things well to help an offence execute.

He’ll likely fall towards the back of the first round to the early second round, but Moran-Weekes is a horse who will find a spot on an NLL roster following the draft.

Stuart Phillips, RF, Johns Hopkins & Burnaby (WLA)

There are a bunch of forwards in this draft that can have a case made for them in the “best shooter” debate, and Stu Phillips is one of them.

Stu’s final two seasons of Junior A were a true coming-out party, culminating in a 2023 playoff run where he put up 16 goals and 18 assists in eight games, aiding the Coquitlam Adanacs in a Minto Cup appearance, where they were the runner-ups to the Burlington Blaze.

Very few can stroke the ball like Phillips, who possesses lightning-quick hand speed, eagle-like vision when distributing the ball, and an IQ that might top anybody else in this draft class.

While he has yet to play Senior A lacrosse to see if all his talents translate to the next level due to school and work commitments, Phillips is a thoroughbred and should hear his name called early on Draft Night.

Jack Royer, RF, Queen’s (NC) & Coquitlam (WLA)

Royer has been on the radar of NLL teams since he helped the Edmonton Miners to back-to-back appearances in the Minto Cup in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

He posted 68 points in 2022 and followed that up with 42 points in just nine games in 2023. In his final junior season last year, Royer posted 25 goals and 62 points in 15 games. He finished off his year by representing England in the World Lacrosse Box Championships. He had 10 goals and 14 points in six games at that tournament, playing in the top division against Canada, the United States, and the Haudenosaunee Nationals.

Royer is a strong playmaker who’s got a cannon of an outside shot. What always stands out about players from the Miners program is their gritty play, strong all-around game, and IQ. They play hard, and Royer is no different.

Braedon Saris, RF, Princeton & Peterborough (MSL)

Saris will be one of the first forwards off the board in this draft, and for good reason. Like his longtime teammate, Marinier, the Burlington native is an elite scorer who can find the back of the net in a number of ways.

When watching Saris during his final junior seasons, what separated him from his teammates was just how much his game elevated when it mattered most. He was outstanding during the 2022 OJLL playoffs, averaging two goals a game and finishing with 35 points in just eight outings.

In the 2023 regular season, he had 23 points in seven games. He went nuclear in those playoffs, scoring 39 goals and 80 points in 14 OJLL playoff games before putting up 22 points in five Minto Cup games, helping Burlington to the title.

A top talent on the righty side, the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder will be in an NLL lineup right off the hop this season.

Coltrane Tyson, LF, UMass & Brampton (MSL)

Tyson is a huge body, standing at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. The lefty has everything teams look for. He’s athletic, a physical presence, and a danger to score the ball every time he possesses it.

The issue for Tyson over the last few years has been injuries. He battled them throughout his final two years in junior with Burlington. Had he featured in the Minto Cup with the 2023 champions, he’d likely be talked about in this class as a first-round talent.

He’s showing glimpses with Brampton in the MSL, but he’ll need to round out his summer strong to boost his stock.

Photo: Cade Dunford/Peterborough Jr. Lakers

Curtis Ward, LF, Peterborough (OJLL)

Ward was a player who renounced his NCAA eligibility last year to enter the draft. However, he went undrafted after leading the OJBLL’s Hamilton Bengals with 52 goals and 107 points in the 2024 season.

The Brampton, Ontario native also spent the whole winter playing against older competition in the ALL, finishing top five in league scoring with 94 points in 14 games as a 2004-born player. He jumped to the OJLL full-time with Peterborough this summer, where he had 63 points for the playoff-bound Jr Lakers.

The 6-foot-1 lefty has good IQ and can create his own looks and set up teammates for prime scoring chances in equal parts. He might not be someone who goes off the top of the board, but Ward has produced at every level he’s played. He’ll be a solid pickup in this draft.

Casey Wilson, RF/T, Denver & Victoria (WLA)

Wilson is a top-five talent in this draft who projects to be a Swiss-Army Knife in the NLL. He’s played forward during his box career, but he played SSDM at Denver and for the Canadian Men’s National Team in field.

However, the Victoria, BC native reportedly tore his ACL towards the end of the NCAA season, which will likely see him miss the entire 2025-26 NLL season depending on the recovery process.

Depending on what teams are looking to add in the first round, Wilson could either go high still or slip a bit to a team that doesn’t mind waiting a year for the immense talent from the West Coast.

2025 NLL Draft - Forwards to Watch