NBA Draft instant grades for every 2026 first-round pick

The 2026 NBA Draft has a chance to go down as an all-timer. The top of the class is what makes this group special, with A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson all looking like potential franchise players with the first four picks. The talent continues to run deep throughout the lottery, including Michigan’s trio of national championship-winning giants, a deep point guard class full of diverse skill sets, plus some intriguing international forwards with Hannes Steinbach and Karim Lopez.

Check out my big board for complete player rankings, and read my final mock draft to see how we expect things to go. Every draft is full of surprises, and this one will be no different. This year’s order was already thrown for a loop when the Milwaukee Bucks acquired a second lottery pick in their blockbuster deal that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.

Now it’s time to grade every pick in the first-round. Grades will be based off the evaluations on my big board combined with team fit. Refresh this page often to see updated grades as the picks come in.

Grade: B+

Dybantsa’s advanced shot-creation ability is pretty special for a supersized wing. He gets to the rim at will, has a deadly mid-range game, and can make an open three even if his release is a little slow. I think it’s fair to wonder how he will impact the game outside of bucket-getting. His physical tools are way too good to be as ineffective defensively as he was at BYU. I had him third on my final board, but he’s still a worthy No. 1 overall talent.

Grade: B+

I named Peterson to the Jazz as one of my favorite potential fits in this draft class. He looked like the second coming of Kobe Bryant in his high school tape, and when he lost his burst at Kansas because of some bizarre injury issues, Peterson remade himself as a high volume and highly accurate three point shooter. If he can stay healthy, watch out. Peterson doesn’t just have takeover scoring ability, he’s also one of the better guard defenders you will see for such a high-level offensive player. The only reason this grade isn’t higher is because I had him ranked a tier below Cameron Boozer. He can easily make this grade look too low if he regains the peak physical form he showed in his prep days.

Grade: A+

Best player in the draft. Boozer lacks vertical explosiveness and some shake in the middle of the floor, but he’s excellent at just about every aspect of basketball. He was unanimously considered the best player in college hoops, despite also being one of the youngest, which is the ultimate sign of star potential. This is reminiscent of Luka Dončić slipping to the third pick in 2018, though in this case, Dybantsa and Peterson are much better than DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley. I still think Boozer was in a class of his own at this draft because of his special processing, knockdown three-point shooting, monster rebounding, powerful isolation driving, and ability to find open teammates as a passer all over the floor.

Grade: A

This was the easiest pick in the draft. Wilson turned the big three into a big four during an electric freshman year at North Carolina, where he established himself as the draft’s most explosive athlete. Wilson dunked the hell out of the ball at every opportunity this past season with 67 slams in 24 games. His playmaking also looked far better than other freak athletes in his mold. If he can make any sort of leap as an outside shooter or ball handler, it could take his offense to the next level. It will also be fascinating to monitor his defense after a freshman year full of highlight reel takeaways that also included some ugly lapses of ball watching. Read my in-depth feature on his past, present, and future.

Grade: B+

Wagler’s rise from the No. 150 recruit to a top five overall pick is a single best story in this draft class. His stock exploded after the Illini moved him to point guard and unleashed his off the dribble shooting on their way to the Final Four. Wagler had an outstanding set up playing in a 5-out system at Illinois, and I will be interested to see if he remains effective inside the arc without ideal spacing in the NBA. The biggest knock on Wagler is his lack of athleticism. He finished the season with zero dunks, a historic rarity for a 6’6 one-and-done lottery pick. He probably has to continue shooting the ball at a high level to return this type of draft value, but it’s hard to discount his fantastic production at such a young age.

Grade: B+

I like this pick for the Nets. Brown feels a little bit like a boom-or-bust prospect, but the Nets desperately need to take a chance on a high-ceiling player, and I think Brown fits the bill. I like the Louisville guard for his pull-up three-point shooting, creative passing, and downhill athleticism to the explosion to finish above the rim. His shot selection can get frustrating at times. I’m more worried about his durability after a bad back slowed down his freshman season. I still think he’s worth the risk, and his upside is real.

Grade: B

Acuff had an absolutely incredible freshman year at Arkansas where he shot 44 percent from three, showed off high-level floor general abilities, and consistently delivered in big games. The Kings were reportedly after him for months, and it’s a little bit of an upset they get their man at No. 7 overall. I’m slightly lower on Acuff because I’m worried his defensive projection might be really bad. He also only shot 30 percent from three in a 29-game high school sample before exploding as a shooter in college. He probably has to maintain his nuclear shooting to fulfill the All-Star upside, and it’s hard to write him off after what we just saw at Arkansas.

Grade: A

Flemings lacks ideal length and strength for an NBA point guard, but he’s super athletic, super smart, and has an ability to play bigger than his listed size at both ends of the floor. Flemings is an awesome driver who can change directions on a dime, throw live dribble passes on the money, or rise-and-fire into mid-range attempts. He’s probably the best defender of this loaded point guard group despite his lack of size due to his disruptive hands, sharp instincts, and high motor.

Grade: B+

Our first shocker of the draft! The Mavericks just stole Dusty May away from Michigan, and now he’s bringing one of the top players from his national championship team to his new pro home. Johnson is super long and super strong, he’s an awesome play finisher, a good rebounder, and I believe he might be the best defender in the class. You can make the argument that his upside is capped because he’s a little short for a center, and he doesn’t yet shoot threes, but I think he’s a dog who is additive at either the four or the five. The Mavs just got a lot tougher around Cooper Flagg.

Grade: B

Burries can really shoot off the ball, he’s a pretty tough defender and rebounder for a two-guard, and he’s a really good transition player. I don’t know if he has the on-ball juice to be a star in the league, but he has some good connective traits that should give him a high floor. The Bucks are starting over without Giannis, and Burries can do a little bit of everything. I’m high on Ryan Rollins in Milwaukee, and Burries has the off-ball ability to complement him well on both ends.

Grade: A

Lendeborg felt like the second best player in college basketball behind Cam Boozer this past season -- and he probably should have been, considering he was a super-senior who is a month older than Josh Giddey. I usually don’t like older prospects, but I love Yaxel. He’s long and strong enough to play in an NBA front court and skilled enough to play on the perimeter on both ends of the floor. He probably could have put up monster scoring numbers at any other school, but instead he embraced his role as an floor spacer, connective playmaker, and versatile defender, and it led to a national championship. Read my feature on Yaxel’s stunning rise from JUCO player to NBA lottery pick.

Grade: A-

There are only so many humans in the world who stand 7’3 with a 9’9 standing reach. Mara was the single biggest stock-riser of March Madness, showing off his elite passing ability and trusty rim protection in drop coverage on Michigan’s run to the national championship. He’s not a shooter at the moment, and there are questions about his quickness on the perimeter, but I’m willing to bet on Mara’s size, passing, and shot-blocking. The Thunder just got another big body to throw at Victor Wembanyama in future playoff matchups. This is a great landing spot for him with so many ferocious perimeter defenders hounding the ball in front of his drop defense.

Grade: C

I understand the appeal of Ament for the Bucks here. They just traded Giannis, they’re probably not going to be good for a long time, so taking a young toolsy forward makes some sense. I was just pretty underwhelmed by Ament’s freshman season. His finishing was horrible, his three-point shot was shaky, and he didn’t play up to his defensive potential. I don’t think the Vols did Ament any favors by making him the highest usage player on the team. I still think he could be pretty good if he commits to being the best defender he could be while also spacing the floor and attacking closeouts. I’m just not sure if he’s athletic, skilled, or strong enough to return lottery value.

Grade: A

Best rebounder in the class. His offensive rebounding might be the best skill in this class, and he’s also major transition threat. I’m buying his shooting upside. He’s not exactly a defensive anchor, so he’ll probably work best in a twin-towers front court. The Hornets needed some more beef inside and they got it.

Grade: B+

Swain was a very good defender his first two years at Xavier, and he blossomed into a deadly slasher upon transferring to Texas. His self-creation leap gives him some sneaky upside in this class. His three-point shot will remain a question with a slower, hitch-y release, but it’s worth noting he did make 32 threes at a 34.8 percent clip after only making 11 threes in his first two college seasons combined. His driving, playmaking, and defense makes him a worthy selection in this range of the draft.

Grade: B+

I’m really high on Stirtz. He’s a high level pick-and-roll operator who can splash shots all over the floor. He’ll be insulated defensively in OKC, and he gives them another ball handler who threatens the defense with his scoring and passing. I think he can be pretty deadly off the ball, too, with the best jumpers in the class.

Grade: A

I love it. Okorie has star upside with the best first step in the class and the ability to extend the advantage with elite acceleration on his way to the rim. He took a lot of threes this year and looked good making them off the dribble. He’s small for a guard and he’s not the best playmaker, but who did he really have to pass to at Stanford? I like the idea of getting Cade Cunningham off the ball a little bit more. Okorie’s ability to generate paint touches could be super valuable for what was an ugly halfcourt offense at times.

Grade: B

Anderson has a case as the best shooter in the class. He can rip shots off the dribble or on spot-ups with a quick trigger and deep range. He’s a pretty good live dribble playmaker who leverages the threat of his shooting to hit open teammates. He’s not very big for a guard and I don’t know if he can make it work defensively, but this is a reasonable pick for a Hornets team that needed more ball handling behind LaMelo Ball.

Grade: B

Graves came out of nowhere to be the advanced analytics darling of this class. His defensive playmaking is really special after posting a 5% block rate and 5% steal rate in a sixth man role for Santa Clara. He also hit 40 percent of his threes and rebounded well. The reason he came off the bench is because his aggressive defense led to a lot of fouling. Graves feels like an odd fit here on a Raptors team led by Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, but he’s a much better three-point shooter than either of those guys. This is surprising but I like it.

Grade: A-

This is a major roll of the dice, but I love it. Quaintance seemed destined to be a top-5 pick coming into the season after an amazing freshman year at Arizona State where he looked like a special defensive big man. He tore his ACL at the end of that season, and he was never healthy at Kentucky, shutting it down after four games. His offense is a major question mark, but his power, length, and movement skills give him massive coverage versatility and a really high defensive ceiling. Wemby at power forward? You’re going to see it more and more if Quaintance reaches his potential.

Grade: B

The Grizzlies’ front office is always fantastic in the draft, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on Lopez. He wasn’t one of my favorite prospects in this class with questions about his shooting and defense in my mind. The appeal here is a big, strong ball handling forward who can get downhill, put pressure on the rim, and hit the glass.

Grade: B

The Sixers aren’t drafting for fit, and I always respect that. Philly already has Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe on the roster, but they took another smaller guard in Philon because they viewed him as the best player available. He’s a very good value in this range, showing an awesome drive-and-kick game and a deadly floater. He was much improved as a three-point shooter this season at Alabama, but I’m a little skeptical he’ll be able to get off his shot in the league with a lower release point. He’s very skinny and will have questions defensively, but he might be the shiftiest guard in the class.

Grade: B

No nonsense senior big man who sets hard screens, rebounds, finishes well inside, and plays with force defensively. He’s a pretty damn good connective passer for his size, too. He probably doesn’t have huge upside, but I like Zuby as a bench big who adds toughness to the Hawks’ roster.

Grade: B

Carr is knockdown three-point shooter on the wing with a 7’1 wingspan and the hops to dunk the ball and block shots at the rim. What’s not to like? Well, I worry he doesn’t have much utility in terms of driving and passing, and I think his defensive projection is a little overrated because he struggles to contain the ball. This is still a pretty good value play, and his shooting will definitely fit well next to Luka Doncic.

Grade: B

Tall pick-and-roll ball handler who can throw some really nice passes when he’s not sloppy with his turnovers. He shot it well this year, and gives the Knicks another guy who can run offense to take some pressure off Jalen Brunson. Update: De Larrea is going to Dallas:

Grade: C+

The Spurs are clearly trying to build the toughest team possible by leaving this draft with Reed and Quaintance. Reed is a powerful interior scorer who might have played Cam Boozer tougher than anyone all year during UConn’s Elite Eight matchup with Duke. He’s a really good rebounder and a pretty good rim protector who will set screens and make the most of his interior scoring chances. I’m not sure how much upside he has. This feels a little early for Reed to me.

Grade: B

Cenac is really raw, but he has great physical tools and a sweet jump shot. He feels like the one stretch five bet in this class, but Boston is going to need to be patient before he becomes a contributor. He has a great frame at 240 pounds with a 7’5 wingspan, and his jumper has range out to three. It’s encouraging that he was willing to commit to a hard-charging college coach like Kelvin Sampson. That’s a green flag for his future.

Grade: B+

I ranked Jefferson as the third best player in college hoops this year. He’s a really great passer for a forward, and he made a nice three-point shooting leap in his senior season. He was always a pretty good defender at the college level, and he’ll need to lean more into that part of his game to carve out a long pro career. His ability to put the ball on the floor and beat a scrambling defense with his ball movement could make for a nice connective piece on the Nets.

Grade: C+

Karaban was the ultimate college glue guy as a stretch forward, and he has two national championship rings to show for it. He just knows how to space the floor and move without the ball. The Kings needed some high IQ players, and Karaban fits that bill. I’m not sure he’s athletic enough to defend NBA forwards, so he’ll need to be a high level shooter.

Grade: B+

Peat can’t shoot at all, but he’s an explosive leaper and a really good passer for his size. He’s going to hit the glass, finish inside, and hopefully he’s quick enough to defend. I like this as a value pick. Update: Peat is going to the Suns.