Darryn Peterson Drops In Latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft from Kevin O'Connor amid Injury Concerns
The latest 2026 NBA mock draft from Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor projected Darryn Peterson slipping out of the top four picks given the injury issues that limited him throughout his freshman season at Kansas.
O'Connor's latest mock draft featured BYU's AJ Dybantsa at No. 1, followed by Duke's Cameron Boozer, Arkansas' Darius Acuff and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson.
Peterson is then projected to come off the board at No. 5, a pick currently projected to be held by the Utah Jazz, in O'Connor's mock.
"There's a strong possibility that teams are making a mistake letting him fall out of the top-3," O'Connor wrote. "But league sources have said since midseason that there's a chance Peterson could slip depending on how his medical report looks after injury issues derailed his freshman year."
The latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman also projects Dybantsa coming off the board at No. 1, although Wasserman still had Peterson slated for the No. 2 pick and noted he could go at the top.
"The case for Peterson over Dybantsa revolves around his superior range, quicker defense and more off-ball skills, plus the chance that he'll look more explosive with better spacing and healthier legs a year from now," Wasserman wrote. "Plus, concerns over the cramping have seemingly faded with Peterson playing over 30 minutes a game over the last month."
Health issues have been a concern for Peterson throughout his freshman year, during which he averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 24 games but often played limited minutes due to what Kansas coach Bill Self described as cramping issues.
Peterson told the Kansas City Star's Shreyas Laddha in March he had been dealing with what he described as "traumatic" full-body cramps since September, and that the issue was a "huge factor" throughout his season.
He played more down the stretch of his freshman season, although he saw his shooting percentage drop as his minutes increased. Wasserman noted that could be due at least in part to Peterson's legs not being "at full strength."
Peterson's medicals could ultimately indicate to teams the likelihood his health issues will continue to impact his availability and leg strength into his pro career. Both those results, and the results of the May 10 draft lottery, will impact whether Peterson slips down the board ahead of the June 25 draft in Brooklyn.
