UNC Star Caleb Wilson's Landing Spot Revealed by Scouts for 2026 NBA Draft

North Carolina standout freshman Caleb Wilson's projected range within the 2026 NBA draft was reportedly revealed on Thursday.

According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, scouts believe that Wilson is "pretty clearly" the "fourth player" in the 2026 draft following Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU guard AJ Dybantsa and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.

"The numbers would say that Wilson should probably be in contention with the top trio, but scouts haven't placed him there yet because of some concerns about his finishing and defense," Vecenie reported.

Wilson has averaged a double-double to begin his Tar Heels career, recording 19.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field. He's also picking up 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks on a nightly basis.

Still, Wilson is still searching for more consistency on defense and has shot below 40 percent from inside the arc in two of his past three appearances.

The forward was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the most recent 2026 mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. Wilson similarly trailed Peterson, Dybantsa and Boozer.

"Wilson also has more dunks than anyone in the country with 28 in just six games," Wasserman wrote. "His motor and bounce were well-documented heading into the season, but he's also earning easy baskets using his handle to get to spots and slice through defenses."

Wilson has just eight games under his belt to open his 2025-26 campaign, giving him more than enough time to showcase his defensive potential and raise his draft stock even further.