MLS Draft 2015: D.C. United selects Maryland Terrapins midfielder Dan Metzger with the 42nd overall pick

With their second pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, D.C. United selected midfielder Dan Metzger, a co-captain at the University of Maryland. The Holmdel, NY native is a former USA under-18 national team player and three-year starter for the Terps under head coach Sasho Cirovski. Metzger also spent significant time in the New York Red Bulls academy, but made an effort to be rid of the Homegrown tag that would have been placed on him so he could be drafted by another team. In other words, he should be easy for United fans to root for.

In 88 career appearances at Maryland, Metzger notched 8 goals and provided 4 assists. Those are decent numbers for a player who Cirovski used as a pure defensive midfielder in a 4132 formation. The Terps remained one of the top programs in the country during Metzger's time there, which saw him start for two ACC title-winning teams, a Big Ten champion side in 2014, as well as two trips to College Cup in 2012 and 2013. As a junior, Metzger made the All-ACC First Team as well as the ACC All-Tournament team. This past year, he did the exact same thing in the Big Ten.

At 5'9" and 155 lbs, Metzger isn't known for bullying opponents. Rather, he's a smart player who has shown a knack for being in the right place to close up passing lanes and make interceptions while shielding the back four. While many have said that they see him purely as a traditional #6, I've seen enough of Metzger to think he can also succeed a bit further up the field. That's good news, because Ben Olsen has usually played a somewhat flat 442, which means there isn't an anchor role like the one he played in College Park.