NBA Draft 2019: Mock Draft and Fringe 1st-Round Prospects to Watch

The NBA draft is less than a month away (June 20), and most of the buzz has surrounded the prospects at the top end of the draft. Duke's Zion Williamson appears to be the next NBA superstar, and players like Ja Morant and RJ Barrett are viewed as big gets at the top of the draft.

Things further down the board are a lot less certain, though. Teams that didn't land lottery picks are likely to settle for role players and bench fodder—though there's certainly the potential for someone to surprise.

This doesn't mean that these future NBA role players aren't valuable. The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors are going to feature several such players—like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Marc Gasol and Danny Green—in the upcoming NBA Finals.

Which fringe first-round prospects may one day play a part in a championship run of their own? Let's take a look at some worth keeping an eye on heading into the draft.

2019 NBA Mock Draft

1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, PF/C, Duke

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State

3. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, SG/SF, Duke

4. Los Angeles Lakers: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech

6. Phoenix Suns: De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Virginia

7. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina

8. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, SG/SF, Duke

9. Washington Wizards: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas

10. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas): Goga Bitadze, C, Georgia

11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF, Kentucky

12. Charlotte Hornets: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana

13. Miami Heat: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC

14. Boston Celtics (via Sacramento): Bol Bol, C, Oregon  

15. Detroit Pistons: PJ Washington, PF/C, Kentucky

16. Orlando Magic: Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga

17. Brooklyn Nets: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, France

18. Indiana Pacers: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech

19. San Antonio Spurs: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina

20. Boston Celtics (via Clippers): Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, Iowa State

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky

22. Boston Celtics: Nassir Little, SF/PF, North Carolina

23. Utah Jazz: Brandon Clarke, PF/C, Gonzaga

24. Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington

25. Portland Trail Blazers: Chuma Okeke, PF, Auburn

26. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston): Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C, Florida State

27. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver Nuggets): Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland

28. Golden State Warriors: Admiral Schofield, PF, Tennessee

29. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto): Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont

30. Milwaukee Bucks: Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue

Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue

While the NBA Finals is going to feature plenty of role players, it's also going to feature two of the most lethal shooters in the NBA in Klay Thompson and Steph Curry. While Purdue's Carsen Edwards may never be on their level, he has the tools to be a tremendous perimeter scorer in the NBA.

Just consider that Edwards topped the 40-point mark twice during the NBA tournament while also making a ridiculous 28 three-pointers. He was also the first player in tournament history to have five straight 25-point games since Curry did it in 2008.

So why is Edwards only a fringe first-round prospect? First of all, his size (5'10") could be a big issue at the NBA level. His skills as a shooter should translate, but he isn't going to have as much success scoring inside against bigger defenders.

Secondly, while he can get hot and start draining threes, Edwards isn't as consistent as NBA teams would probably like—he shot just 39.4 percent from the floor this past season. When you add in the fact that he doesn't offer much as a distributor, Edwards looks like a future bench player who will come in and provide the occasional offensive outburst.

Even as such, Edwards can be a tremendous asset. The ability to continue putting points on the scoreboard with on the court can make a potential contender dangerous in the postseason. Think to the last couple finals series, where the Warriors starters played pretty evenly against the Cleveland Cavaliers' starting five but dominated due to contributions off the bench.

Ty Jerome, PG, Virginia

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Speaking of prospects who could shine off the bench for a playoff team, Virginia point guard Ty Jerome is a prime example. Though he isn't the most athletically gifted player in this draft, he possesses ideal size (6'5") and court vision to be a standout point player for a second unit.

Jerome averaged 13.6 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field. He made 39.9 percent of his three-point attempts and was regularly able to move inside and put up points in mid and short range.

"The success Jerome had in the short midrange area is the most encouraging thing to me when forecasting his NBA future," Michael Walton of NBC Sports Chicago wrote. "NBA defenses will play his jumper aggressively and force him into the paint where there is more confined space. Jerome has the craft and guile to get to his floater and should be able to punish bigs in space with decent success."

If a playoff-caliber team does take a chance on Jerome at the back end of Round 1, it will be getting a valuable second-team point and a possible spot starter—both great things to have when seven-game series come into play.

Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Tennessee's Grant Williams is a bit of a tweener in the respect that he plays like a traditional power forward but is just a tad undersized (6'7") for the role at the NBA level. This could lead him to being a second-team standout as well.

However, Williams had tremendous success at Tennessee making his skill set work for him. He's dangerous at the post and is a versatile defender at the other end, capable of guarding both inside and outside.

This past season, Williams averaged 18.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 56.5 percent from the field. He was named SEC Player of the Year in each of the past two seasons.

Williams showed at the scouting combine that he has value even when he isn't able to contribute offensively.

With a little seasoning, Williams could develop into a quality starter. He should still be a valuable role player early in his career.