2023 NLL Draft Results: Dyson Williams Selected No. 1 by Albany FireWolves

Sat Sep 16 2023 | Kenny DeJohn | Pro
NLL Duke

PHOTO COURTESY OF NLL

Dyson Williams (center) was the No. 1 pick in Saturday's draft. Adam Poitras (left) was taken second, and Callum Jones (right) was taken third.

One day after Shawn Williams was enshrined in the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame, the next great Williams was drafted No. 1 overall.

Dyson Williams, a Duke attackman and son of the box lacrosse legend, was taken first overall by the Albany FireWolves in the 2023 NLL Draft. The selection was expected, as Williams was a routine fixture atop prospect lists in the weeks and months leading into the event.

Williams also plays for Brooklin L.C. and earned a silver medal this summer playing for Canada in the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship. The formidable lefty is a deft finisher in the field game and will surely add some much-needed punch to an Albany team that struggled in all facets last season. The FireWolves had a league-worst goal differential (minus-66).

Albany spent its other two first-round selections on the defensive side, choosing Nicholas Volkov (Burlington Blaze) at No. 14 and Zachary Young (North Carolina/Brooklin) at No. 17.

Continue below to see the 2023 NLL Draft results.

ROUND ONE

1. Albany: Dyson Williams, F, Duke/Brooklin LC
2. Las Vegas (from Vancouver): Adam Poitras, F, Loyola/Whitby
3. New York: Callum Jones, D, Norwich/Oakville
4. Vancouver (from Las Vegas): Payton Cormier, F, Virginia/Brooklin
5. Panther City (from Saskatchewan): Ryan Sheridan, F Hofstra/Nanaimo
6. Georgia: Toron Eccleston, F, Lenoir-Rhyne/Burnaby
7. Vancouver (from Philadelphia): Brock Haley, F, Vermont/Whitby
8. Georgia (from Panther City): Jacob Hickey, D, Toronto Beaches
9. Vancouver (from Rochester via Las Vegas): Brayden Laity, D, Port Coquitlam Saints
10. New York (Halifax trades 10th pick to New York for a 2025 first-round pick): Jake Stevens, T, Princeton/Syracuse/Brooklin
11. Calgary: Bennett Smith, D, Queens/Victoria
12. Saskatchewan (from Toronto): Levi Anderson, F, Saint Joseph’s/Miners
13. San Diego: Matthew Wright, D, North Carolina/Syracuse/Peterborough
14. Albany (from Colorado): Nicholas Volkov, D, Burlington Blaze
15. Rochester (Buffalo trades 15th pick to Rochester for a 2024 first-round pick): Graydon Hogg, F, UAlbany/Whitby
16. Rochester (Calgary trades 16th, 35th picks and Kyle Waters for Thomas Hoggarth and Thomas Vela): Ben MacDonnell, D, Robert Morris/Brooklin
17. Albany (compensatory selection): Zachary Young, D, North Carolina/Brooklin
18. Vancouver (Philadelphia trades 18th pick for 22nd pick and a 2024 second-round pick): Connor O’Toole, G, Brampton Excelsiors/Brock
19. Georgia (compensatory selection): Kaleb Benedict, F, Orangeville

ROUND 2

20. Saskatchewan: Thomas Kiazyk, Burlington Blaze
21. Panther City (from Albany via Saskatchewan via Philadelphia): Justin Sykes, Hofstra/Mimico
22. Philadelphia (from Vancouver): Mitchell Armstrong, St. Catherine’s A’s
23. San Diego (from New York): Ben Stewart, Hofstra/Burnaby
24. Las Vegas: Luke Pilcher, RIT/Brooklin
25. Saskatchewan: Jake Bowen, Queens (N.C.)/Langley
26. Georgia: Liam McGrath, Lenoir-Rhyne/Coquitlam
27. San Diego (from Philadelphia via New York via Saskatchewan): Noah Armitage, Stony Brook/New West
28. Halifax (from Panther City via Georgia): Mike Robinson, Delaware/Peterborough
29. Saskatchewan (from Rochester via Buffalo): Joshua Zawada, Michigan/Duke
30. Rochester (from Halifax): Jake Doolittle, Whitby
31. Georgia (from Calgary): Jake Taylor, Notre Dame
32. Albany (from Toronto): Carson Moyer, Utah/Cobourg
33. New York (from San Diego): Reed Kurtz, Delaware/Brampton
34. Colorado: Ben McDonald, Delta
35. Rochester (from Buffalo): Jacob Piseno, UAlbany/Hawkeyes UCBLL
36. Halifax (compensatory selection): Caelan Mander, Port Coquitlam
37. Calgary (compensatory selection): Evan Soucy, UIndy/Nanaimo
38. Buffalo (compensatory selection): Evan Constantopoulos, Oakville

ROUND THREE

39. Toronto (from Albany): Zack Kearney, UMass/Oakville
40. Vancouver: Alec Stathakis, Denver
41. Georgia (from New York): Nicholas Rowlett, Michigan
42. Las Vegas: Mustang Sally, Loyola/Richmond
43. Colorado (from Saskatchewan: Sean Kriwokon, Simon Fraser/Okotoks
44. San Diego (from Georgia): Matthew Abbott, Queens (N.C.)/Langley
46. Panther City: Elijah Gash, Albany
47. Rochester: Jack Boyden, Tufts/Virginia/Brooklin
48. Halifax: Andrew Vradenburg, Burlington Blaze
49. Calgary: Conner Cook, Mounties
50. Toronto: Chase Schiavon, Orangeville
51. Las Vegas (from San Diego): Luke Robinson, Jacksonville
52. Panther City (Rochester trades 52nd pick for 2026 third-round pick): Mike Sisselberger, Lehigh
54. Buffalo: Jake Rosa, St. Bonaventure

ROUND FOUR

54. New York (from Albany via Panther City): Gavin Adler, Cornell
55. Vancouver: Sam Handley, Penn
56. New York (from New York via Philadelphia via Rochester): Mason Woodward, Marquette University
57. Las Vegas: Joey Szabo, Queens (N.C.)/Oakville
58. Saskatchewan: Curtis Bukta, Newberry/Mimico
59. Philadelphia (from Georgia): Stone Jacobs, Vermont/Coburg Kodiaks/Kahnawake Mohawks
60. Philadelphia: Noah Millsap, Orangeville
61. Panther City: Colin Sharkey, Vermont
62. San Diego (from Rochester): Xander Dickson, Virginia
63. Halifax: Beau Pederson, Princeton
64. Calgary: Jack Posey, Penn State
65. Toronto: John Wheller, Whitby Warriors
66. Georgia (from San Diego):Richie Connell,Denver
67. Colorado: Matt Brandau, Yale
68. Buffalo: Kellen Pulera, St. Bonaventure/Marist

ROUND FIVE

69. Albany: Andrew Kidd, Toronto Beaches
70. Las Vegas (from Vancouver): Tyler Carpenter, Duke
71. New York: Robert Morgan, Oakville
72. Saskatchewan: Samuel Marshall, Franciscan University of Steubenville/Saskatoon Swat Jr. A
73. New York (Georgia trades 73rd pick for 2025 fifth-round pick): Coby Auslander, Christopher Newport
74. Philadelphia: Brandon Hund, Rutgers
75. Philadelphia (from Panther City): Russell Maher, Virginia
76. San Diego (from Rochester): Marcus Hudgins, Ohio State
77. Halifax: Briley Maxwell, Newberry/Edmonton Miners Jr. A
78. Calgary: Chris Jordan, Penn State
79. Toronto: Brett Handsor: Johns Hopkins/Oakville Rock Sr. B
80. San Diego: JJ Sillstrop, Denver
81. Colorado: AJ Mercurio, Denver
82. Buffalo: Duncan Carte, Brampton Express (ALL)

ROUND SIX

83. Albany: Grant Ammann, High Point
84. Vancouver: Drew Andre, Lewis
85. Panther City (Philadelphia traded 85th pick for 2024 sixth-round pick): Justin Morgan, Maryville
86. Las Vegas: Kenny Brower, Duke
87. Saskatchewan: Scott Reed, Newberry/Brooklin L.C.
88. Georgia: Piper Bond, Penn
89. Philadelphia: Jackson Ganton, Edmonton Miners
90. Panther City: Tim Manning, Vermont
91. Philadelphia (from Rochester): Hayden Fox, Johns Hopkins/Six Nation Arrows
92. Halifax: Camden Smith, Saint Rose/Paper City Oaks (NABLL)
93. Calgary: Riley Isaacs, Calgary Mountaineers (RMLL)
94. Toronto: Luke Dawick, Oakville Buzz Jr. A
95. San Diego: Oscar Hertz, Brown
96. Colorado: Declan Fitzpatrick, Langley
97. Las Vegas (Bandits trade 97th pick for 2027 sixth-round pick): Nick Murphy, High Point