New 2026 NBA Draft Big Board Drops Ahead of Lottery from Expert Kevin O'Connor After NBA Mock Draft
Yahoo Sports expert Kevin O'Connor isn't sold on Darryn Peterson as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, but he does consider the Kansas guard to be the third-best prospect in the class.
O'Connor had Peterson follow BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Duke forward Cameron Boozer in his newest big board.
In his most recent mock draft, he projected UNC star Caleb Wilson to leapfrog Peterson and go fourth overall.
"Questions about his burst, his availability, and what exactly is going on under the hood are going to define how NBA front offices feel about him at the top of this draft," O'Connor said of the 6'6" guard.
Here's his full top 10:
Kevin O'Connor 2026 Big Board — Top 10
- AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
- Cameron Boozer, F, Duke
- Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas
- Caleb Wilson, F, UNC
- Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
- Kingston Flemings, G, Houston
- Darius Acuff Jr., G, Arkansas
- Aday Mara, C, Michigan
- Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville
- Karim López, F, Mexico
For much of the 2025-26 season, the trio of Dybantsa, Boozer and Peterson combined for a three-horse race for the No. 1 pick in the draft. With the event a little over a month away, Dybantsa may have edged ahead for good.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman also projected the Cougars star to go first overall.
"AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer are each No. 1 on various scouts' boards," Wasserman wrote. "But there is still some hesitation around Peterson's shot difficulty and lack of playmaking evidence at Kansas. And a fraction of NBA staff still believe Boozer's lack of explosion/quickness will restrict his advantage-creation, limit his defensive effectiveness and consequently block roads to upside."
Further down O'Connor's big board, there was another gulf between where he ranks Arizona guard Brayden Burries and where Burries could fall.
The Wildcats freshman is the No. 12 overall player but went seventh to the Atlanta Hawks, with O'Connor floating him as a possible successor to veteran guard CJ McCollum.
It was a different story for Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 9) and Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11). They ranked a few spots higher compared to O'Connor's mock.
Brown has injury questions after appearing in just 21, while Lendeborg, 23, is on the older side for an incoming prospect. Those concerns could knock the pair back toward the end of the draft lottery despite their obvious talent.
