U21 defenders with the Best Potential in Major League Soccer 2026
The highest-potential U21 defenders in Major League Soccer in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.
At a glance
M. Dos Santos of New York Red Bulls is the standout for raw talent across U21 defenders in Major League Soccer, with a Field Insider Rating of 49.1, and M. Mbokazi has been the form player this season, grading 46.4, and Neil Pierre leads the scoring with 4 goals.
The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: O. Verhoeven has improved his Season rating most, up +23.9 on last season. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.
By our market-value index, T. Johnson of Vancouver Whitecaps is the most valuable name in this group at 13.6.
17 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →
| Player | Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. Dos SantosCentre-back |  New York Red Bulls | 17 | 13 | 49 |
| 2 | T. JohnsonCentre-back |  Vancouver Whitecaps | 21 | 4245% | 497.2% |
| 3 | E. BáezFull-back |  Atlanta United FC | 21 | 1675.7% | 4817.4% |
| 4 | F. WestfieldFull-back |  Philadelphia Union | 20 | 2422.7% | 474.6% |
| 5 | M. DuahCentre-back |  San Diego | 21 | 43305.7% | 466.7% |
| 6 | E. KohlerCentre-back |  New England Revolution | 20 | 28 | 4523% |
| 7 | N. NorrisCentre-back |  FC Dallas | 21 | 30393.4% | 4512.7% |
| 8 | M. MbokaziCentre-back |  Chicago Fire | 20 | 4682% | 4480.4% |
| 9 | O. VerhoevenCentre-back | San Diego | 20 | 26129.8% | 443.8% |
| 10 | L. BombinoFull-back | San Diego | 20 | 408.6% | 4310.3% |
| 11 | IagoCentre-back |  Orlando City SC | 21 | 11279.3% | 4331.2% |
| 12 | Harbor MillerFull-back |  Los Angeles Galaxy | 19 | 18307% | 424.5% |
| 13 | Leonardo BarrosoCentre-back | Chicago Fire | 21 | 33219.4% | 425.3% |
| 14 | I. JamesCentre-back |  Sporting Kansas City | 18 | 12116.7% | 409.6% |
| 15 | J. GilmanCentre-back |  Toronto FC | 21 | 11 | 40 |
| 16 | R. Baker-WhitingFull-back |  Nashville SC | 21 | 8±0% | 401.7% |
| 17 | S. SuárezCentre-back | New England Revolution | 21 | 6 | 33 |