ESPN Lists 3 Prospects Ahead of Dylan Harper in Combined 2025, 2026 NBA Draft Class Rankings

The 2026 NBA draft class is so talented that one expert ranks multiple prospects from this year ahead of one of the top picks from 2025.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo created a combined big board of the 2025 and 2026 NBA draft classes and ranked 2025 No. 2 pick Dylan Harper behind 2026 prospects AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer. With 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg still occupying the top spot in the combined rankings, Harper was slotted at No. 5 despite his impressive rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs.

"Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer feel more bankable today than Harper did a year ago, but I'd still put him ahead of [Caleb] Wilson because of the value of Harper's archetype as a tall playmaker and his advanced feel and skill," Woo stated.

Harper was one of the lone bright spots for the Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals as they lost to the New York Knicks in five games. The youngster averaged 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists off the bench during the series, proving that he's ready to handle a larger role next season.

Still, Woo maintained that Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer are all better college prospects than Harper was after his lone year at Rutgers. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his latest mock draft that they will be selected No. 1, 2 and 3 in the first round on Tuesday.

It's clear that this year's draft class is facing lofty expectations before they enter the NBA, so it will be exciting to watch them develop over the next few years and see whether the projections prove correct.