Top 10 Defense Prospects: 2024 NLL Draft presented by Castore

After opening with a look at five of the top goalie prospects for the National Lacrosse League Entry Draft, to be held September 15, it’s time to move up the floor a bit and consider 10 of the most promising prospects on defense/transition.

Mike Grace

Lefty, Brooklin Lacrosse Club Sr. A, Canada East WJLC & RIT

Grace won’t be joining an NLL team this year because he is heading to Syracuse for a grad year. He’s worth the wait, though, for whoever gets him. Grace is big and athletic. He has excelled in the field game, helping Canada to win a silver medal at the 2023 field worlds. And he has shown enough in his time in box to make it clear his defensive prowess is not limited to the outdoor game. Grace was excellent with Burlington in Jr. A, playing the kind of steady game that keeps defenders from getting noticed, in the good way. His handful of games with BLC showed he has no trouble stepping up to play against men. Grace was set to play with the New Westminster Salmonbellies this summer but suffered a partial tear of his PCL and opted to spend the summer rehabbing to be ready to play for the Orange. He will also be ready for a regular role when he gets to the NLL.

Luca Antongiovanni

Righty, Coquitlam Adanacs Sr. A & North Carolina

With a nice blend of athleticism, skill and grit, Antongiovanni stood out every time he played for the Adanacs in Jr. A. He is a defensive leader who can contribute in transition and shows a high lacrosse IQ.

Jacob Power

Righty, Nanaimo Timbermen Sr. A & Belmont Abbey

Power has been on the radar as a high pick for a while, but has run into some bad injury luck. He missed the entire 2023 summer season— and what would have been a trip to the Presidents Cup — with a lower body injury. This year, after a solid start to the season with the Timbermen, he suffered another injury that kept him out the rest of the season. The good news is that this injury wasn’t lacrosse related; Power had a cliff jumping accident in which he broke his wrist and nose. While that’s no fun, there is no anticipated long-term impact on his lacrosse career. Power has been compared to Ryan Dilks by his coaches and the injuries shouldn’t impact his long-term potential. They could, however, hurt his draft stock by limiting opportunities for some evaluators to see him play this summer.

Trent DiCicco

Lefty, Victoria Shamrocks Sr. A & Ohio State

A strong summer with the Shamrocks has DiCicco climbing the draft board. He’s fast, can finish and has taken to his role out the back door swimmingly. DiCicco scored 20 goals and 53 points as an 18-year-old forward with Jr. A Kitchener-Waterloo back in 2019. This year was his first full summer season since and he showed his years in Columbus have helped him grow as a box player, as well.

Remo Schenato

Lefty, Coquitlam Adanacs Jr. A & Black Fish ALL

Someone that big shouldn’t be that fast. Schenato looks like a classic stay-at-home defender when you see him patrolling the defensive zone, but then you see the 6’4”, 230-pounder take off up the floor and realize he has substantial transition skills. Schenato helped the Adanacs win this year’s Minto Cup as part of a deep, athletic and well-coached defensive unit. He scored 32 points in 36 BCJALL games over the last two seasons. Schenato also suited up for half a dozen regular season games with the Black Fish of the Arena Lacrosse League West and scored five goals. Then, to cap the ALL season, he posted a hat trick to lead the club to a 16-11 win in the championship-clinching game, wrapping a run of eight points (4g/4a) in three playoff games.

Photo Courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletics

Jakson Raposo

Righty, Brooklin Lacrosse Club Sr. A & Johns Hopkins

Raposo can play a variety of roles for a team. Going out the back door and looking to push transition seems to be his most productive path to the pro game. Raposo was a key cog in the rise of the Toronto Beaches to Minto Cup contender status. He scored 40 points (including 22 goals) in the regular season then added another 10 goals and 15 points as the Beaches reached the 2022 Minto tournament.

Jake Darlison

Lefty, Whitby Warriors Jr. A

Darlison played a regular role when the Warriors won the Minto Cup in 2022 then took on more leadership and responsibility for his final two years, including serving as an alternate captain this summer. He put up three straight seasons of 20+ points, including back-to-back 12-goal seasons the last two years. While playing out the back door, Darlison was the go-to when Whitby needed a lefty to step up and play some offensive shifts, which he attacked with gusto.

Caleb Creasor

Lefty, Nanaimo Timbermen Sr. A & Marquette

A spectacular goal in his MSL debut with the Peterborough Lakers put some spotlight on Creasor, who has shown good speed that makes him a transition threat. His challenge has been to solidify his play in his own zone. That improved in his season with Nanaimo; continued work on that part of his game could land Creasor on an NLL roster sooner rather than later.

Nate Woods

Righty, Snake Island Muskies Sr. B & St. Michael’s

An under the radar prospect, Woods was a solid player in Jr. B with the Nepean Knights but really gained substantial attention at last year’s Presidents Cup in Oakville. He was back at the Prezzy with the Muskies and put some polish on the potential he flashed a year ago. Woods is solid in his own end, has some jump to push the pace and plays with an edge.

Denton Macdonald

Lefty, Victoria Shamrocks Sr. A & Bellarmine

Another Shamrock who has made the shift from forward to defence with the jump from junior to senior lacrosse, Macdonald is a loose ball magnet. It shouldn’t be too surprising that the athletic Macdonald can play effectively at both ends of the floor, given his versatility as a Bellarmine Knight; as a junior midfielder, he was top five on his team in goals scored, ground balls and caused turnovers. His soft hands led to 48 assists in 12 games in his last season of Jr. A, and as a transition player they make him a threat to score on the run and adept at setting up teammates coming either from the back end with him or off the bench.

The 2024 NLL Draft presented by Castore will be streamed LIVE Sunday, September 15 at 7pm ET on the NLL’s Facebook and YouTube pages.