It has been a different off-season in the National Lacrosse League to say the least. The league pushed back the opening of free agency to the end of August, which brings the two biggest pieces of the NLL off-season within weeks of one another.

Once free agency opens, the NLL will be right on the cusp of the 2024 Draft, which should roll around in mid September. This year’s class will be an interesting one, with no clear number one at the top of the board and plenty of room for players to move up and down as we head into the final stretch of the summer season.

We’re excited to kick off our 2024 NLL Draft coverage on OTC, and we’ll kick things off with the forwards!

Some quick housekeeping notes on the draft. This will be the first year since the pandemic where true seniors will not have a blanket graduate year to return to school. In some cases, players will have an extra year of eligibility and will be moved to the 2025 Draft. Guys like CJ Kirst and JP Ward will be headed back to their respective schools for 2025.

Additionally, we’re still trying to find out information on the possibility of a stash year as there has been in previous drafts. A big thank you to the amazing work at SwarmItUp to provide us with up to date information on every draft class. It is an essential part of the draft process every year.

Let’s hop in and talk about the top names up front in this year’s class.

Brennan O’Neill, LF, Duke & Denver (PLL)

O’Neill is a player that lacrosse fans have been waiting to turn pro for over half a decade, and now, we’ve gotten to see what he can do in the pro ranks in the PLL, becoming a star overnight with the Denver Outlaws after being selected first overall.

He is also uniquely positioned to join an elite class of individuals who have been selected first overall in both the NLL and PLL/MLL Drafts. Only Kevin Crowley and Jeff Teat have accomplished the feat. That means O’Neill would be the first American to do so. The Bay Shore, NY native would also be the first American since Casey Powell (1998) to go first overall in the NLL Draft.

O’Neill is the most hyped American prospect to enter the NLL Draft since Paul Rabil, and for good reason. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound lefty is a freak with a unique blend of skill, size, and physicality. He won MVP at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championships as a first-time participant. He has said that he models his game after big-bodied Canadians like Mark Matthews and John Grant Jr., and you certainly can see the similarities when watching O’Neill tear apart the NCAA over the last four years.

It’ll be fascinating to watch how O’Neill acclimatizes to the box game. He’s got a heavy shot and is able to create his own shot. He also backs up defenders often with his strength. His physical style lends itself to the NLL. Regardless of the team he lands with, O’Neill can succeed if he gives box a chance.

Sam English, RF, Syracuse & Oakville (MSL)

The biggest question of this draft is who will be selected by the Philadelphia Wings with the first overall pick, and English is definitely one of the names in the mix.

The Princeton-turned-Syracuse product had a strong finish to his collegiate career, putting up 34 games while starting all 18 games for the Orange as a midfielder. He followed that up with 27 points in 10 games with the Oakville Rock this summer.

English really jumped onto everyone’s radar in the OJLL bubble, when he finished fifth in league scoring with 22 goals and 35 points in nine outings. Three of those other players in the top five went on to be top-five picks in the NLL — Thomas McConvey (1st, 2022), Alex Simmons (4th, 2022), and Payton Cormier (4th, 2023).

The Burlington, Ontario native has everything an NLL team is looking for in a talent at the top of the board. He’s a 6-foot-1, 170-pounder who has produced at every level due to his strong blend of athleticism and raw ability. He rips the ball and is able to draw defences in and dish off to open shooters for great looks. And he can also beat players with his first step and speed.

Get used to the name English. You’ll be hearing it a lot over the next half decade — and likely early in those cases. Sam and his brothers, Ty, Brooks, and Sawyer, are all elite players and will be highly coveted when it’s their times to make the jump to the NLL.

Brayden Mayea, LF, High Point & St. Catharines (OJLL)

Mayea is a bit of a question mark when it comes to the box game. We haven’t seen him indoors since the OJLL bubble in 2021, when he helped the St. Catharines Athletics take home the Iroquois Trophy as champions of Ontario.

In that bubble, he had 24 points in nine games while working in an offence that also featured NLL’ers like Alex Simmons and Sam LeClair. Mayea was the featured lefty alongside Kealan Pilon. He excelled at being a threat when the ball was swung his way and working efficiently in the two-man as both a dangerous shooter and an adept finisher.

He was moved to the Oakville Buzz ahead of the 2022 season, but he never played a game in that season, ending his junior career in the process. Since then, we’ve only seen Mayea at High Point and in the PLL with Carolina.

He’s a dynamic offensive talent, the big question is what his interest level is to return to box and play in the NLL. If he’s going to be back in full force, he’ll be a first-round talent.

Zach Thompson, LF, Newberry & Cobourg (MSL)

Thompson’s stock took a massive jump last year after having a strong season for the Peterborough Lakers and then joining the Burlington Blaze via trade. The lefty solidified a roster that already had some strong offensive talent in Braeden Saris and Alex Marinier, among others.

The Nepean, Ontario native is a skilled player who excels in all aspects of the offensive side of the ball. He’s got a good shot to go with strong passing and IQ. Anyone coming from the Knights Jr B program is going to be a strong all-around player. Thompson doesn’t back away from the physical aspect of the game either.

Thompson bounced between the MSL and OSL this summer, splitting time with the Cobourg Kodiaks and Clearview Crushers. He finished with just under two points per game while also posting 15 points in four games of Senior B lacrosse.

Thompson is one of those jack-of-all-trades players who can slide into an NLL lineup right off the jump and find a productive role for himself.

Johnathan Peshko, RF, Johns Hopkins & Owen Sound (MSL)

After playing out his final year of junior lacrosse in 2022 with Mimico, Peshko was set to make the jump to MSL, but with Owen Sound not participating last season, he spent part of the summer with the OSL Northstars, putting up an impressive 20 points in four games of Senior B.

In seven games, he posted 11 goals and 22 points, finishing third in scoring on the team. The righty is hard to miss out there, standing at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. He finished his collegiate career at Johns Hopkins with just under a goal per game, and he’ll likely serve a prominent role at the next level as a player who excels in the two-man game and buries the looks he creates through those openings.

Between the abbreviated OJLL bubble in 2021 and the last two summers, Peshko has played in just 21 games. He’s got a high ceiling for growth, he’s just got to get more reps in. His frame is pro-ready and that’ll give him an edge over some others in this class when it comes to the physicality that goes with an NLL training camp and, of course, a full NLL season.

Jackson Webster, LF, Canisius & Owen Sound (MSL)

After finishing up his junior career splitting the 2023 season between the St. Catharines Athletics and Toronto Beaches, Webster made the jump to Major Series Lacrosse this year with the Owen Sound Northstars.

He averaged over two points a game while posting 11 goals in as many contests in his first year of MSL ball.

What separates the Georgetown, Ontario product from others in this group is his ability to plug and play anywhere on the floor. After a 90-point year including playoffs with St. Kitts in 2022, Steve Toll and Co. asked Webster to go out the back gate to help out their defensive unit. He stayed there when he was traded to the Beaches while also having the green light to stay and play on offence.

While he returned to the front gate for Owen Sound this summer, he moved all over the floor, featuring on the ball team, power play, and sometimes on the penalty kill. That versatility will pique the interest of NLL teams, who are always looking for guys who can slot into different spots when called upon.

Carter Page, RF, St. Joseph’s & Ennismore (OSL)

You can never discount a skilled forward from Peterborough. One of the best lacrosse centres in Ontario, they just produce solid NLLers year in and year out, and Page is one of players in the next crop of talent coming from the ‘Boro.

A righty with athleticism and skill, Page had a 2022 season with the Jr Lakers that saw him post 51 points across 17 games. He made the usual jump to the senior ranks with the Lakrs, and has appeared in a handful of games across the last two summers, showing well when he’s had his name called. What makes Page stand out is his burst and first step. When coming. over the top of down picks or just trying to get his hands free, he gets up to speed at a rate you don’t see often. His shot from the outside is strong and he works well in the two-man game.

Playing in seven OSL games with Ennismore this summer, Page had 16 goals and 15 assists. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has the ability to post strong rookie numbers given the right situation this year.

Cam Acchione, RF, Delaware & Owen Sound (MSL)

Acchione got back into the box for the first time this summer since being a key transition player for the Toronto Beaches’ 2022 Minto Cup squad. In 2024, he returned to his natural forward position, and despite only appearing in a pair of games for the Owen Sound NorthStars, he had three goals and seven points.

Like his Owen Sound teammate Webster, that versatility could pay dividends in the draft. If Acchione takes a spot out a back gate, he’s proven he can provide punch — he had 16 goals and 41 points in transition for the Beaches in 2022. But he may very well be best used up front, as he’s a player who will give 100 percent every shift and work hard to free himself and his teammates up for chances.

We’ll get a better look at Acchione at the President’s Cup, where he’ll play with the Snake Island Muskies.

Ethan M’Lot, LF, Burnaby (BCJALL)

M’Lot has become one of the best forwards in the BCJALL over the previous two summers, most recently finishing this year with 35 goals and 90 points with the Burnaby Jr Lakers. That’s coming off a 2023 year that saw him post 65 points with the Lakers and PoCo Saints and then having a 52-point year in the ALL West with the Black Fish.

Additionally, the Maple Ridge, BC man has appeared in the WLA each of the last three summers — all for different teams. He played in two games for Langley in 2022, finishing with a point. In 2023, he had four points in two games with Langley. And this summer, he jumped up to play in the playoffs for the Maple Ridge Burrards. He had a goal and five assists across three games.

Standing at 6-foot-6, 180 pounds, M’Lot is the biggest forward in this draft, and he’ll be amongst the tallest in the entire league when he enters. With his size, M’Lot doesn’t have the quickest feet, but he does have excellent vision and passing and a hard shot from the outside.

M’Lot doesn’t shy away from the middle, and he’ll likely find the most success at the NLL level as a crease guy who can free up teammates and be an active finisher in close and off the pick and roll. He’s been a proven producer his entire career to this point. He’ll make his mark in the pros sooner rather than later.

Lukas Nielsen, RF, New Westminster (BCJALL)

It wasn’t the greatest year for the Salmobellies in the BCJALL this summer, but Nielsen was a massive bright spot for them. He was one of just two players in Canadian Junior this summer, and to boot, he’s got another year of eligibility.

According to Swarm It Up, Nielsen has declared early for the 2024 draft, and it’s a good year for players to throw their respective hats into the ring.

Nielsen during his junior career has skewed more towards goals than assists, but he flipped that script when he played in the ALL West this past winter, putting up 26 helpers in 14 games for Sea Spray.

For a player that has the ability to produce at a good clip and still has room to grow in the future, Nielsen is a great player that a team could draft, develop over this season, and then see what he has after completing his junior career next summer.

Liam Aston, RF, Guelph & Toronto (OJLL)/Nanaimo (BCJALL)

Editors Note - Liam Aston will not Declare for this year’s NLL Draft. He will be available in the 2025 NLL Draft instead

Aston had a whirlwind of a summer, starting the year off at home with the Nepean Knights before making the jump to the OJLL with the Toronto Beaches. But with the saga that went down over the course of the 2024 season, the Ottawa, Ontario native found himself going out West to finish up the summer with the Nanaimo Jr Timbermen.

The Guelph product hasn’t yet declared for the draft, but with another year of junior eligibility, he’ll be an enticing piece for an NLL team to develop for the future should he decide to put his name in. Standing at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, the righty is is a presence on the offensive side, showing off his strength and finishing ability with the ball in his stick. He’s also got a quick first step when getting underneath defenders on his way to the cage.

With Nanaimo, Aston lit up the BCJALL for all six games he played, posting 10 points in two regular-season contests before putting up eight goals and 13 points against Poco in their first-round series.

He’s got a lot of room to grow and a solid ceiling. His strong end to the summer vaulted him into the conversation with the best forwards in this class.

Marcus Needham, RF, Embry-Riddle & Edmonton (RMSBLL)

In talking to his Jr A coach, John Lintz, Needham possesses great feet and is a solid finisher inside and out. The righty also has great athleticism, toughness, and a high IQ. That’s a lot of things you’d be looking for in a forward at the NLL level.

The 6-foot-2, 181-pound forward hailing from Edmonton, AB finished up his RMLL Jr A career with a 60-point campaign in 2022 while helping Edmonton make a run to the Minto Cup final. He’s returned this summer to the RMLL and has been outstanding for the Sr. B Miners all year, finishing sixth in RMSBLL scoring with 44 points in 12 games. He followed that up by scoring 12 goals and 37 points in just eight playoff games en route to Edmonton winning the league championship.

That means we’ll see Needham and Edmonton at the President’s Cup, which will start on Sunday. That tournament helped solidify players’ stocks ahead of last year’s draft, and with a strong tournament, Needham could vault himself up the ranks of this class.

Callin Harris, LF, Queen’s (NC) & Beaumont (RMSBLL)

Harris was one of the players that featured on the Miners squads that made the 2022 and 2023 Minto Cups, respectively. He had 34 points last summer for Edmonton, and was able to jump to the RMLL’s senior B league with Beaumont and finished seventh in league scoring and first on the Outlaws with 19 goals and 42 points. That was also in just 11 games.

The Stony Plain, AB product is on the smaller side, standing at 5-10, 170 pounds, but he’s a great inside and mid-range finisher who is also shifty 1 on 1 in space. He’s able to play effectively without the ball. As we’ve seen with players hailing from Alberta, Harris is also an extremely hard worker with a high motor.

You’re just getting a solid player when you pick up someone from the Edmonton system, and after a number of Miners have been drafted and impressed over the last two years, Harris will be another sturdy option for NLL teams to pick up in this year’s class.

NLL Draft - Forwards To Watch