Don't expect drastic defensive improvements in 2016

As things stand, it's hard not to be excited about the Union's draft haul this year. The most exciting additions have to be the Georgetown duo of Joshua Yaro and Keegan Rosenberry. Yaro was the pre-draft number one pick and Rosenberry projected as a talented and high-upside full back that the Union organization was very familiar with. Seeing as defense was the Union's biggest issue last season, there is a lot of optimism around the Union regarding the future of the defense.

I'm here to temper those expectations, at least in the short term. One huge reason for this is the fact that defense is arguably the toughest position for young players to learn. High upside or not, both Yaro and Rosenberry are going to likely struggle out of the gates to adjust to the quicker and more physical MLS style of play. Because of this, it would would be irresponsible to expect either of these players to come in and turn the Union's defense around in one off-season. It's understandable when fans see the team make two defensive selections in the top three that they expect immediate improvement. But remember that this rebuild will not happen overnight, and an important aspect of any rebuild is letting the team's young talent develop at a measured pace.

For the time being, fans should celebrate the Union's impressive SuperDraft haul. But when the preseason and eventually regular season start, practice some patience and don't be surprised if the defense remains a work in progress throughout the year.