The number six overall pick will add some depth to the defensive line.
FC Dallas has signed 2022 MLS SuperDraft pick Lucas Bartlett (1st round, 6th overall) to a one-year contract with club options for the 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons, the club announced today.
Bartlett will likely occupy one of the team’s supplemental roster slots that will not count towards the salary cap.
The 24-year old was a surprise pick by the club earlier this month during the annual college draft. He was projected to go late in the first round before FC Dallas snatched him up with one of their three first round picks.
Bartlett appeared in 20 matches at St. John’s University, where he scored five goals and recorded three assists. Prior to St. John’s, Bartlett played 31 matches at Drake University between the 2018-21 seasons and 17 matches at Loyola Chicago. While at St. John’s University, he was named to the First Team All-BIG EAST and United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Region. He was one of 44 players nationwide to be invited to the MLS College Showcase.
Quick Take
This is a nice sign that the club felt strongly enough about Bartlett back at the SuperDraft to not only take him but sign him quickly after just two weeks of preseason play. Typically draftees like this take a little more time to get signed, so the club does see something in him that they like.
He’ll add some depth to the center of the defense behind Matt Hedges, Nkosi Tafari and Jose Martinez. The good news here is that he won’t be required to be a starter on day one (as long as those three aren’t injured at the same time like we saw last season).
FC Dallas currently has 27 players under contract for 2022, with three of those players (Dante Sealy, Justin Che and Thomas Roberts) out on loan. So there is still a lot of work to do on this roster.