Ranking AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson: My top-four big board

The 2026 draft class is getting hyped up as one for the ages, and one of the primary reasons is because of how good this top tier of prospects is. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer would all be solid No. 1 picks in an average draft. And Caleb Wilson could easily break into that top three as a stronger-than-average No. 4. 

Dybantsa may be No. 1 on the majority of mock drafts, but he's far from the consensus top pick on big boards. There is still a lot of healthy debate on who the best player in this class is and how those four players stack up talent-wise. Here's how my own big board looks at the top. 

MORE: SN expert Elliott Pohnl's 60-player big board

Ranking AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson

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1. Cameron Boozer

Boozer isn't a popular No. 1 pick. He doesn't have the best highlights package. Most of his scoring came from post ups that aren't as popular in the NBA. And he's the least athletic of these four players. 

There is some truth to those criticisms of his game, but none of these prospects are perfect and those weaknesses have been overblown. They also cast too much of a shadow on Boozer's greatest strengths. 

Victor Wembanyama aside, the best players in the NBA don't win based on sheer size and athleticism. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic all went lower than they should have in their respective drafts. They all have unbelievable feel, and that's where Boozer shines. 

Boozer has so many different ways to beat you. He's a good shooter, great inside the arc, and an excellent passer. He can create in the post, as a ballhandler, or finish plays as a roll man. He had an outstanding 68 percent true shooting percentage on spot ups, proving that he can be a threat off the ball. He can also do the dirty work as an offensive rebounder. 

Boozer knows how to win and will find ways to contribute no matter what situation he's put in. It's reflected in his advanced statistics, where his 17.1 box plus-minus was historically great. It's also reflected in his team success, where he won every tournament he played in during his high school, AAU, and USA Basketball career. And it's reflected in draft models where he blows other prospects out of the water. 

Boozer is the youngest player in this class, and he was also the best this past season. He was even better at Duke than 2026 Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. Players who are this young, this dominant, and this smart simply do not fail. He's at the top of my board. 

MORE: Full Cameron Boozer scouting report

2. Darryn Peterson

Peterson and Dybantsa have been picked apart. Dybantsa was clearly better at BYU, but Peterson's cramping issues due to creatine overuse made his Kansas season so strange that it's become difficult to evaluate him. He also wasn't helped out by a poor fit on that roster, where a lack of shooting around him and an off-ball role didn't highlight his greatest strengths. 

Peterson looked like a different player during a sterling high school career that had him considered the best pure talent in this class. He dominated Dybantsa in their head-to-head matchups at that level. 

The most legendary of those contests came in February of 2025, where Peterson scored a ridiculous 58 points and a game-winning 3 to get his Prolific Prep team an 88-86 win over Dybantsa's Utah Prep team. Dybantsa wasn't too shabby either, dropping 49 in that game. But Peterson was clearly a cut above every time they took the floor together.

Darryn Peterson has been on another level for Prolific Prep (22-2), averaging 30.4 points, 7.1 assists per game, shooting 44% for 3. Two wins in head-to-head matchups against AJ Dybantsa convincingly made the case for him as the best NBA prospect in the high school game. pic.twitter.com/QiD2cM2Idg

I don't believe Peterson's cramping issues are a long-term issue. He should get back to that explosive scorer that he was in high school. He's a tremendous shooter, shot-maker, and creator. He's proven at Kansas that he can also play off the ball, running around screens to get open. He has good size and tools to be a strong defender. His motor has been a criticism at the college level, but it was a strength before his health became an issue. 

Peterson comes with a perceived higher level of risk than the other players, but he also has a higher upside. I'm also not totally convinced that his bust risk is higher than Dybantsa's. 

3. AJ Dybantsa

Dybantsa has been hailed as the best player in this class. I'm not seeing it. He certainly has scoring talent, as evidenced by leading all Division-I players in points per game last season. His midrange game is excellent, and he has a great bag. His size at 6-foot-8.5 with a 7-foot-0.25 wingspan should make him a fearsome defender. 

The key word in there is "should." Dybantsa was not an impactful defender at BYU, recording by far the lowest block and steal rates of the players in this first tier. How a player with his tools averages just 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks per game is a major red flag to me. He shouldn't be a bad defender at the NBA level given his size, but his effort, technique, and awareness are all disappointing. 

Dybantsa carries himself with an infectious joy that is admirable. He was constantly smiling at the NBA combine. Some of the chatter around his other intangibles weren't great. He's been a top prospect for years, and I did hear from several executives and scouts that he had some entitlement concerns. 

It all leads to a style that isn't as conducive to winning as the other players above him. He lost most of his games against Boozer and Dybantsa in high school and college. His BYU team wasn't great, but they shouldn't have been eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament (it should be noted that he did play well in that game and BYU was missing fellow draft prospect Richie Saunders for that loss).

Dybantsa has a surprisingly high bust potential in a model from Jeremias Engelmann, who previously worked in the Suns and Mavs analytics departments. He may have the best highlights and he will average a lot of points in the NBA. He will probably be an All-Star player, as will Boozer and Peterson. But unlike those two, he leaks value in a way that is tough to see unless you're watching full games of him taking a tough shot diet of contested midrange jumpers and playing disengaged defense. 

4. Caleb Wilson

Wilson won't be taken No. 1 in this draft, but he could very well jump up to the No. 3 slot. He's an insane athlete, finishing second in the NCAA in dunks per game. He is an absolute terror in transition, and was wildly efficient due to his propensity to getting to the rim or getting fouled. He was a good passer for his position. He's the closest player to a Zion Williamson or Giannis Antetokounmpo in this draft class. 

I do have some reservations about Wilson as well. His shooting is obviously a concern. While he has nice touch from the midrange, the 25.9 percent from 3 at North Carolina speaks for itself. He doesn't have a polished offensive game, relying heavily on posting up on the left block in the halfcourt. 

Unlike Dybantsa, Wilson does generate a ton of steals and blocks. But he shares some of those same processing concerns. He can lack focus away from the ball, his positioning isn't great, and he can make some poor decisions on where he's supposed to rotate. He can overcome those deficiencies against college guys based on his incredible tools and projects as a good-to-great defender, but that needs to be cleaned up at the next level against better players. 

Wilson is a clear No. 4 to me. He would be an amazing pick at four in a normal class. His ability to get to the rim and enormous defensive potential is special. It seems likely that he'll fall to the Bulls, who badly need to take a high upside swing on a player like him anyway. 

There are other talented players throughout the lottery, but these four stand out as a cut above the rest. As good as Darius Acuff, Keaton Wagler, or Kingston Flemings (who I'd have five) are, they're not breaking into this group.

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