Why does MLS have playoffs and a draft in the first place
We have playoffs because this is AMERICA. Besides that, AMERICA is not the the only place where the league champions are crowned champions after the playoffs.
We have a draft because there used to be a time, not too long ago, when college soccer was the backbone of AMERICA'S national team. Then came MLS with 10 arbitrary teams that needed rosters they needed to fill. How did they do it? They looked at AMERICAN tradition and decided to use what everyone else uses, the draft. And besides that, the draft we have now is not like the drafts of old. It's the SUPERDRAFT.
Besides that, there is only 1 first ever overall pick. The legend:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_MLS_Inaugural_Player_Draft