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
