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After Pat Kavanagh trade, who should Cannons draft at No. 3 and 4 overall?

By Adam Lamberti | Nov 7, 2024

 The Outlaws and Cannons shook up the draft in a big way Thursday morning as Boston traded Pat Kavanagh to Denver in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 College Draft and a 2026 second-rounder.

I like it for both teams, as Denver gets its X attackman of the future while Boston, which also owns the fourth overall pick, can add a pair of premier players at the top of the draft. 

Who should the Cannons target at Nos. 3 and 4? Some options below:

Ben Wayer - LSM, Virginia

Wayer is the top pole in the class for my money. He has a nonstop motor and consistently makes play after play after play on both ends of the field. He’s as good an offensive-minded long-stick midfielder as I’ve seen and could have a Michael Ehrhardt-type impact for Boston.

Levi Verch - LSM, Saint Joseph’s

Verch is another really good LSM prospect. The Canadian lefty is a ground ball machine and would excel in the PLL’s up-and-down pace. He’s not quite the same offense threat Wayer is right now, but he’s still more than capable offensively and could even shine there in the right PLL system.

Brendan Lavelle - Defense, UPenn

If Boston decides Craig Chick is its preferred second LSM option behind Ethan Rall, then taking the top close defenseman in the draft at No. 3 or No. 4 would make a ton of sense.

Lavelle is a fundamentally sound righty eraser. He held Brennan O’Neill to zero points when guarding him in their matchup last year. His skill set and size should translate nicely to the next level.

Additionally, Cade van Raaphorst and Bryce Young are both free agents, so the consensus First-Team All-American in 2024 would be a plug-and-play starter if one of those two doesn’t re-sign with Boston.

Andrew McAdorey - Midfield, Duke

I think the Cannons desperately need a “party starter” for their midfield – a guy who has elite speed and can draw slides with ease. McAdorey fits that bill.

The senior from Duke could play attack this year for the Blue Devils, but his real value comes as a midfielder, where he is a smart, skilled and speedy midfielder who can be a dangerous threat off wings, as well.

Sam English, Midfield, Syracuse

English is another elite athlete who could make everyone on the Cannons midfield better. He’s exceptional in the two-man game and could have a Jake Stevens-type impact on the faceoff wings.

As you may have noticed, the most glaring omission from this list is a lefty attackman, a position of need for the Cannons. I feel confident that Boston can land one of Coulter Mackesy (Princeton) or Owen Hiltz (Syracuse) in the second round. I also think there’s a good chance that Boston could sign a lefty in free agency, such as Kieran McArdle (Philadelphia Waterdogs) or Logan Wisnauskas (Denver Outlaws).

My initial instinct? The Cannons take one of Wayer, Verch or Lavelle and one of McAdorey or English at Nos. 3 and 4, and try to figure out their lefty attack need via free agency or Round 2.

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