Georgetown's Joshua Yaro: The consensus No. 1 pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft

When the managerial staff that make up the 20 teams in Major League Soccer convene for the MLS SuperDraft, anything can happen.

Trades, orchestrated seemingly on a whim, float through the air and permeate as young college athletes sit nearby, fidgeting in their seats, surrounded by loved ones, waiting for their names to be called.

Draft day is exciting. It's nerve-racking. It's ... well, sometimes it's tedious, and agonizing. But it's always life-changing for the players involved.

For Georgetown University defender Joshua Yaro, draft day is a day under the spotlight. In almost every single projection, every mock draft and wish list, and according to everyone "in the know," Yaro is set to become the first overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.

He's heading to the Chicago Fire, folks. Book it.

Well, don't book it. The Fire could trade the pick, of course. But for all intents and purposes, Yaro is headlining the day. The All-American has been a mainstay in the Hoyas lineup for the last three years and has signed a Generation Adidas contract, making him a free player against the salary cap.

He's ready to play in MLS, too, more so, perhaps, than any other player available this year.

He's highly regarded by the gaffers around the league. One coach, who remained anonymous, called Yaro a "specimen of a human being and athlete," charting him on a map anywhere as high as Ike Opara and as low as Jalil Anibaba in eventual quality.

"He has the athleticism and the speed to be really good in our league," the coach said. "(I'm) worried about the size, the timing of headers. He does get pushed around a little bit."

Here's what you "need to know" about Yaro: He was named Big East's 2015 Defensive Player of the Year, he's a junior at Georgetown, and prefers to play in the middle of the backline. But, he can also play as a right full-back, something he might need to get used to - Yaro stands at 5-foot-11.

"It's always fun learning new things," Yaro told reporters, of a potential switch to right full-back. "It's hard because you're used to it. You might get it wrong for the most part, but it's also rewarding when you finally grasp the concept of the position and execute it exactly how you want it and how it is supposed to be."

Yaro isn't going into the draft with too many questions surrounding his quality, though. Like Andrew Farrell in 2013, it's sort of expected that Yaro will turn out OK. Maybe he starts this season with the Fire. They sure could use him, having conceded the most goals in the league in 2015.

Still, it's impossible to know for sure. Some first overall picks turn out to be a big, fat, stinking bust; likewise, some of the best players in MLS history didn't even come close to sniffing the top of the draft pile.

Yaro, to be fair, seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Born in Ghana, he began playing soccer only because his older brothers had cleats he envied.

"I remember coming home one day and they had cleats and everything, and I didn't get them, so I wanted them too, out of jealousy," Yaro recounts to MLSsoccer.com. "So my dad got them for me, even though I didn't play soccer then. One of my friends saw that I had that stuff, and he played at a club, and he encouraged me to try out because he was like, 'You have these nice cleats, you should use them. Come and try out.'"

(Courtesy: @FOXsoccer)

Years later and thousands of miles from home, Yaro will soon be lacing up his cleats for a professional team. He's almost there, emulating Rio Ferdinand, his inspiration in the sport.

But Yaro is more than a soccer player. He has a passion for medical anthropology. He even has superpowers.

"When I sit in class, I don't take notes. I just sit there and listen, and it looks like I've forgotten everything, but when it comes to a test, I can remember everything," Yaro explained. "I have a 3.7 GPA. On the field, it helps because I have a good sense of what's happening around me."

A defender with photographic memory - talk about an advantage; that's like letting Barry Allen run down the wings.

Only the events of the day will dictate Yaro's fate.

He could even drop to second or third. Stanford University defender Brandon Vincent has piqued interest after getting a U.S. national team camp call-up. That's new. Different. Kind of last second. It might change some minds. The draft day can be quite impulsive.

Comparisons, perhaps, will be drawn between Vincent and fellow college-star-turned-international Jordan Morris, who, to be frank, most MLS coaches probably wish was available for selection. He's the prized young talent in U.S. soccer, after all.

But for Yaro, none of those things matter. He's heading to the draft with a dream of playing professional soccer. Period.

"All of the coaches I've met so far have been really open and really honest," Yaro said. "They've been really supportive. It's been a great process. I'm glad that I've been able to go through this time in my life where I get to experience all of these things."