5/12/23 – The 2023 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) draft is officially in the books as teams have now picked stars of the college game to join them at the professional level. The draft was headlined by three defenders being taken in a row, Gavin Adler (Cornell), Owen Grant (Delaware), and Brett Makar (Maryland). Atlas selected Adler with the first overall pick and added Makar with the third pick.

Coming out of the draft Atlas looks like the winner of the 2023 draft. Picking up two of the best defenders in the country within the first three picks will create the lockdown defense needed to win. Selecting attackman Kyle Long out of Maryland is also a great value pick in the fourth round. The Whipsnakes had the definition of an all-around draft. A player from every set position, besides goalie, was taken by the Whipsnakes. Attackman Tucker Dordevic, faceoff Petey LaSalla, midfielder Garrett Leadmon, and long-stick midfielder Elijah Gash.

Cannons Lacrosse Club only made two selections this year. Matt Campbell has five games this season with four or more goals. While the Villanova midfielder can score consistently at the college level, he also finds teammates around the field who can score themselves.

The club scene is where almost all of these new PLL athletes started to play the game of lacrosse. Hundreds of teams from numerous lacrosse clubs littered all along the East Coast and other emerging hotbeds around the country. Eclipse 2018 Lacrosse Club had two players drafted by the PLL this year with attackmen Brian Minicus and Xander Dickson, both of whom were drafted in the second round. Minicus is going to Chaos and Dickson will take his talents to Atlas. Dukes Lacrosse Club also produced two players in the draft in FOGO’s Mike Sisselberger and Zach Cole. 

Interestingly, not one goalie was selected in the 2023 PLL draft, but next year could be different when Syracuse’s Will Mark is available.

Georgetown (4) led the way with the most players selected in the draft. Tucker Dordevic and Will Bowen went back-to-back in the first round. While Brian Minicus went off the board in the second and James Reilly went with the final pick. 

2023 PLL Draft Results:

Atlas: 

Gavin Adler, Defense, Cornell – Sting Lacrosse

Brett Makar, Defense, Maryland

Xander Dickson, Attack, Virginia – Eclipse

Payton Rezanka, SSDM, Loyola – Mission Lacrosse, 3d San Diego, RC San Diego

Kyle Long, Attack, Maryland – Big 4 HHH & Dukes Lacrosse Club

Redwoods:

Owen Grant, Defense, Delaware – Toronto Beaches (Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior “A” Lacrosse League)

Brian Tevlin, Midfield, Notre Dame – Leading Edge

Cole Kirst, Midfield, Syracuse

Zach Cole, Faceoff, Saint Joseph’s – Dukes Lacrosse Club

Chrome:

Sam Handley, Midfield, Penn – 3D National

Troy Hettinger, LSM, Jacksonville – Roughriders

Jack Myers, Attack, Ohio State

Cross Ferrara, Attack, Salisbury – HT CE Lacrosse

Archers:

Mike Sisselberger, Faceoff, Lehigh – Dukes Lacrosse Club (Elite)

Connor Mahar, SSDM, North Carolina – FCA MD

Piper Bond, SSDM, Penn – FCA MD

Cam Wyers, Defense, Loyola – SweetLax

Whipsnakes:

Tucker Dordevic, Attack, Georgetown – Rhino’s & West Coast Starz

Petey LaSalla, Faceoff, Virginia – Team Long Island

Garrett Leadmon, Midfield, Duke – Blackwolf

Elijah Gash, Defense, Albany – Team Sconnies

Chaos:

Will Bowen, Defense, Georgetown – Laxachusetts 

Brian Minicus, Attack, Georgetown – Eclipse

Tye Kurtz, Attack, Delaware – Kitchener-Waterloo Braves (Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior “A” Lacrosse League

Nick Rowlett, Faceoff, Michigan – Virginia Lacrosse Club (VLC)

Levi Anderson, Attack, Saint Joseph’s – Jr. A. Raiders

Waterdogs:

Thomas McConvey, Midfield, Virginia – Edge Lacrosse

Alex Mazzone, Defense, Johns Hopkins

Chris Fake, Defense, Notre Dame – Blue Star 

James Reilly, Faceoff, Georgetown – NXT Lacrosse

Cannons:

Matt Campbell, Midfield, Villanova

Grant Ammann, Defense, High Point