The Portland Timbers of Mamadou Futty Danso have bolstered their defence by selecting central defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste with their first-round pick in the MLS SuperDraft on Thursday. The Timbers used the eighth overall pick to select Baptiste out of Connecticut. They also used their second-round pick (27th overall) to select Brendan King, a midfielder from Notre Dame.
The Timbers had said in the days leading up to the draft that they needed help in the back. That desire heightened after starting central defender David Horst was sidelined for up to seven months after undergoing successful hip surgery two weeks ago. With just three players - Eric Brunner, Mamadou "Futty" Danso and Steve Purdy - with experience at the position currently on the roster, Jean-Baptiste is a player many MLS scouts considered one of the most MLS-ready prospects in the draft.
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