Sporting KC picks UNC’s Colton Storm in MLS SuperDraft first round

For the second time this offseason, Sporting Kansas City added to its outside defender depth chart — this time through the MLS SuperDraft.

Sporting KC selected right outside back Colton Storm of North Carolina with the No. 14 overall pick Friday in Los Angeles.

The club did not own a second-round choice. The third and fourth rounds will be held Tuesday via conference call.

“I definitely liked Sporting Kansas City after the interview (with coach Peter Vermes),” Storm said. “Coach Vermes’ thoughts on everything, I loved everything about it. I feel like I can relate to the team and coach Vermes and bring a lot of hard work to SKC.”

Storm, 22, is a 5-10, 166-pound outside defender who was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference second team last season. He played four years at North Carolina, the final two of which featured 41 starts, two goals and three assists.

Sporting KC already has two right backs on its roster — incumbent starter Saad Abdul-Salaam and recently-acquired Igor Juliao, who are expected to compete for the starting job.

“He’s a very good (one-on-one) defender as an outside back,” Vermes said. “He anticipates situations in the game really well.

“What I like is that personality-wise, I think he encompasses a lot of the traits we look for. He has that Sporting DNA.”

Expansion clubs Minnesota United and Atlanta United drafted UCLA forward Abu Danladi and Syracuse defender Miles Robinson with the top two picks Friday, respectively. Those two selections were followed by a pair of trades.

Sporting KC did not own a first- or second-round pick last year. In 2015, it took Connor Hallisey, Abdul-Salaam and Amadou Dia in the first round, all of whom played regularly in their rookie seasons. Abdul-Salaam remains on the roster and started 26 matches last year, but the club has since traded Dia and declined the contract option for Hallisey.

This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Sporting KC picks UNC’s Colton Storm in MLS SuperDraft first round."