Orlando City officially signed one of its 2022 draftees, inking forward and first round draft selection Jack Lynn to a one-year contract with three option years. Orlando City selected the Notre Dame product with the 18th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
In the statement from the club, general manager Luiz Muzzi praised Lynn's work in preseason and lauded how Lynn's fit in with the group. The St. Louis native joins a crowded room of strikers on Orlando's roster. The club brought in Designated Player Ercan Kara, resigned Alexandre Pato and still have MLS veteran Tesho Akindele.
Even with a full group ahead of him, Lynn will have an opportunity with Orlando City. It's a long season and the US Open Cup is back this year, so he could find his way onto the field. There's also a chance of injuries, especially given Pato's history. Or we could potentially see Lynn lead the line for Orlando City B in MLS Next Pro.
Lynn produced at the college level, scoring 31 goals in 57 starts for the Fighting Irish. He was the top offensive threat on a consistently very good college team for a handful of seasons. College soccer will never be confused with MLS, but he played in the ACC, probably the best soccer conference in the country, and delivered.
Orlando City has a history of getting good attacking players from the SuperDraft. Cyle Larin was the first draft pick in team history and is now (arguably) the best striker in Concacaf. Daryl Dike was another top draft choice and was just sold for around $8 million. Besides those two special talents, the club also turned Chris Mueller into one of the best players in club history. Jack Lynn is not as immensely talented as Larin or Dike, nor is he the same type of player as Chris Mueller, but it's not hard to see a world where Lynn becomes a good MLS foward.
I remember watching a Notre Dame game this past fall, I believe it was against Duke in the ACC tournament but don't quote me on that, and Lynn really reminded me of a Brain White-type. Not the most gifted at any specific thing, but a well rounded player who gets into good spots and gives effort. I'm not expecting Lynn to be as good as Brian White, or to even play the same way, but I do think Lynn will find a way to stick around and make an impact like the Whitecaps striker.