2024 NLL Draft - Big Board
Just days away from the 2024 NLL Draft, we’ve gone through all the major names to take a look at this year. But we wanted to expand that list to include some others that deserved recognition.
We jotted down our top 50 players on our big board this year. This list is subject to change and there are names both on and off the list that could move up or down the board come draft day.
With that in mind, let’s hop in and check out the Big Board!
Photo: Duke Athletics
Forwards
Brennan O’Neill, LF, Duke & Denver (PLL)
Sam English, RF, Syracuse & Oakville (MSL)
Jonathan Peshko, RF, Johns Hopkins & Owen Sound (MSL)
Brayden Mayea, LF, High Point & St. Catharines (OJLL)
Zach Thompson, LF, Newberry & Cobourg (MSL)
Carter Page, RF, St. Joseph’s & Peterborough (MSL)
Jackson Webster, LF/T, Canisius & Owen Sound (MSL)
Cam Acchione, RF/T, Delaware & Owen Sound (MSL)
Ethan M’Lot, LF, Burnaby (BCJALL)
Lukas Nielsen, RF, New Westminster (BCJALL)
Photo: Ontario Lacrosse Association
Defenders
Michael Grace, RD, Syracuse & Brooklin (MSL)
Trent DiCicco, LT, Ohio State & Victoria (WLA)
Luca Antongiovanni, RT, North Carolina & Coquitlam (WLA)
Jakson Raposo, RT, Johns Hopkins & Brooklin (MSL)
Caleb Creasor, LD, Marquette & Nanaimo (WLA)
Remo Schenato, LD, Coquitlam (BCJALL)
Matt Acchione, LT, Delaware & Owen Sound (MSL)
Jack Travassos, LD, Newberry & Brooklin (MSL)
Jack Follows, LD, Cornell & Oakville (MSL)
Denton MacDonald, LT, Bellarmine & Victoria (WLA)
Photo: Mimico Mountaineers
Goalies
Nate Whittom, Mimico (OJLL)
Ashton Brown, Port Coquitlam (BCJALL)
Lindyn Hill, Orangeville (OJLL)
Colby Bowman, Nanaimo (WLA)
Marc Russell-Rippberger, Burnaby (BCJALL)
Photo: David Pickering/NLL
The Big Board
1) Brennan O’Neill, LF, Duke & Denver (PLL)
2) Michael Grace, RD, Syracuse & Brooklin (MSL)
3) Sam English, RF, Syracuse & Oakville (MSL)
4) Trent DiCicco, LT, Ohio State & Victoria (WLA)
5) Luca Antongiovanni, RT, North Carolina & Coquitlam (WLA)
6) Jonathan Peshko, RF, Johns Hopkins & Owen Sound (MSL)
7) Brayden Mayea, LF, High Point & St. Catharines (OJLL)
8) Zach Thompson, LF, Newberry & Cobourg (MSL)
9) Jakson Raposo, RT, Johns Hopkins & Brooklin (MSL)
10) Caleb Creasor, LD, Marquette & Nanaimo (WLA)
A few things to look at with this top 10. DiCicco has jumped Antongiovanni with his outstanding performance in the 2024 Mann Cup. The former Coquitlam Jr. Adanacs captain is a very strong defender and transition threat, and now, he has officially declared for the draft. So he’ll likely be a high pick in this draft.
Similarly, we have vaulted Jonathan Peshko up the board. The big righty has a pedigree for scoring goals, and he didn’t have the best chance to showcase himself as a top option during his time in Mimico because of the top-end talent that was there. McConvey and Cormier were the centrepieces of the offence in 2021, and in 2022, Finn Thomson and Co. took over as the big offensive threats.
Peshko has a high ceiling, and if he reaches it, he could be a deadly scorer in the NLL.
Photo: Dave Fryer/Orangeville Northmen
11) Remo Schenato, LD, Coquitlam (BCJALL)
12) Matt Acchione, LT, Delaware & Owen Sound (MSL)
13) Jackson Webster, LF/T, Canisius & Owen Sound (MSL)
14) Jack Travassos, LD, Newberry & Brooklin (MSL)
15) Carter Page, RF, St. Joseph’s & Peterborough (MSL)
16) Jack Follows, LD, Cornell & Oakville (MSL)
17) Denton MacDonald, LT, Bellarmine & Victoria (WLA)
18) Jake Darlison, LT, Whitby (OJLL)
19) Owen Rahn, RT, Orangeville (OJLL)
20) Cam Acchione, RF/T, Delaware & Owen Sound (MSL)
Just outside the top 10, Schenato and Matt Acchione had outstanding ends to their respective summers. The former took home a Minto Cup while helping to anchor a back end who stymied the vaunted Orangeville offence in a three-game series. The latter was one of the best defenders at the Presidents Cup and made First Team All-Tournament — the other five players who made it are all current NLL’ers.
Denton MacDonald has solidified himself as someone who will go in the first two rounds. Don’t be surprised if someone takes a shot at him in the first either. His play hasn’t been as much of an eye raiser as DiCicco watching on stream or in person, but his strong play out the back gate is enough to cement his place as a top defender this year.
The newest addition to this list is Rahn, who has declared for the draft after another strong year with the Northmen. Rahn mainly plays out the back gate, but during the Minto, he was asked to play forward for spells. He’s a do-it-all player who had 30 points in 30 games in transition this year for Orangeville. He also has another year of junior left, so he could be a high pick come Sunday.
The final name in this section, Cam Acchione might have just had a similar breakout as his twin brother had he not suffered an injury that knocked him out of the Presidents Cup on a pretty nasty hit. His small sample size in senior this year doesn’t tell the whole story. He’s a gamer who plays either side of the floor well. If he goes out the back door, expect a similar game to what Matt showcased. But Cam has more punch in transition. They’re both burners who never run out of steam and are great teammates.
Photo: Delaware Athletics
21) Robbie Turpin, LD, Simon Fraser & Coquitlam (BCJALL)
22) Taylor Dooley, RD, Mercer & Ennismore (OSL)
23) Reese Barnes, RD, Edmonton (RMJALL)
24) Ethan M’Lot, LF, Burnaby (BCJALL)
25) Lukas Nielsen, RF, New Westminster (BCJALL)
26) Jacob Power, RT, Belmont Abbey & Nanaimo (WLA)
27) Chris Harland, LD, Dalhousie & Toronto (OJLL)
28) JP Ward, RF, Delaware & Brampton (MSL)
29) Carter Cook, LD, Calgary (RMJALL)
30) Liam Ferris, LD, St. Joseph’s & Mimico (OJLL)
We’ve got a good mix of defenders we’ve touched on previously in this section. With the way the draft order is at the moment, these players would be mid-to-late second rounders with all likelihood.
JP Ward joins the list after having his status up in the air earlier this summer. He was originally listed on Delaware’s 2025 roster, but he will not be returning to the Blue Hens. He’s a big body with a summer of box under his belt in the MSL with the Brampton Excelsiors. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound righty hailing from Owings Mills, Maryland was a good goal scorer in the NCAA and then came up to give box a shot and led the Excelsiors in scoring this summer. Another intriguing project that could pay off big indoors, Ward could fill the net if he sticks with box.
Liam Ferris was a very good defender for Mimico, but after graduating junior in 2022, he hasn’t played since from what we can tell. The St. Joseph’s graduate could be a good get later in the first couple of rounds for a team.
Photo: Mimico Mountaineers
31) Bryce Cordingley, RD, Newberry & Mimico (OJLL)
32) Charlie McFadden, LD, Skidmore & Edmotnon (RMSBLL)
33) Josh Fairey, LD, Loyola & Toronto (OJLL)
34) Nate Whittom, G, Mimico (OJLL)
35) Colton Armitage, LF, Brock & St. Catharines (OJLL)
36) Tysen Nielsen, RD, New Westminster (BCJALL)
37) Ben Musso, RD, Coquitlam (BCJALL)
38) Marcus Needham, RF, Embry-Riddle & Edmonton (RMSBLL)
39) Davis McCulley, LD, Belmont Abbey &. Victoria (WCSLA)
40) Ashton Brown, G, Port Coquitlam (BCJALL)
Another player we haven’t seen in a few years, Cordingley — the son of Calgary coach Troy — played for Mimico and was a hard-nosed defender. But other than playing at Newberry, he hasn’t had many reps indoors. Another interesting prospect to watch in the middle rounds.
McFadden propped up his value in this class with a strong Presidents Cup with the Miners. Colton Armitage is another early declaration for the draft. He has another year of junior ball, and he’ll get a chance to improve on his resume next summer with a St. Catharines team that has Minto aspirations.
The best story of this group is that of Ashton Brown. The Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native was a wall in the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League for Dartmouth. He moved out West to take another step, and he backstopped PoCo to their first-ever Minto Cup appearance. Brown is a 2005-born goaltender with two more Junior A seasons to play. He’s a long-term play for an NLL team. But he could become the next Nova Scotia product to crack an NLL roster in the future.
Photo: Shelly Fey/Minto Cup
41) Jordy Neary, LD, Calgary & Port Coquitlam (BCJALL)
42) Anahalihs Doxtator, LF, Onondaga CC & Port Coquitlam (BCJALL)
43) Nathan Fehr, RD, Brock & St. Catharines (OJLL)
44) Lindyn Hill, G, Orangeville (OJLL)
45) Louis Alfred Jr., RD, Six Nations (OJLL)
46) Callin Harris, LF, Queen’s (NC) & Beaumont (RMSBLL)
47) Hawi Francis, LF, Akwesasne (OJBLL)
48) Ethan Quinn, RD, Port Coquitlam (BCJALL)
49) Nathan Woods, LD, Saint Michael’s & Snake Island (TNSLL)
50) Zayden Blake, LD, MacEwan & Edmonton (RMJALL)
There are some very fun players at the end of this list who could very well be taken earlier in the class.
It’s highlighted by early renunciations in Doxtator and Fehr and 2003-born players who aren’t playing in the NCAA.
Doxtator was a late add to the draft class, as he’s coming off the heels of the 2024 Minto Cup, where he appeared with the PoCo Saints. He made the move out to the BCJALL after two strong years with the Six Nations Rebels in the OJBLL. Doxtator fit right in, posting 62 points. He’s an OCC product who will come out into the draft after two years with the Lazers.
Hawi Francis is a player to watch in the middle rounds. He has been one of the offensive leaders for the Akwesasne Thunder the last two years, helping them to a Founders Cup appearance in 2023 with 58 points in 18 games last summer. This past year, he played in eight games but had 37 points. Standing at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he just plays a gritty game that’ll suit what teams are looking to accomplish with a crasher in the NLL.
Nathan Woods also makes this shortlist after he showed he was a solid defender out the back gate with the Snake Island Muskies in the 2024 Presidents Cup. The Nepean grad has some sandpaper to his game and he can get out and produce in transition. What we know about players from that town is they play the game at a high level and have strong IQ to go with it.