Tennessee Basketball Star Felix Okpara Receives Latest NBA Draft Projection

Tennessee Volunteers basketball big man Felix Okpara has received his latest NBA Draft projection.

Tennessee forward Felix Okpara (34) walks off the court after a NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game between Tennessee and Michigan at the United Center in Chicago on March 29, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers are expected to be one of the many teams represented multiple times across the two rounds of the NBA Draft. The Vols could have three selections in the draft if all goes well, as the player with a major chance of being the third guy off the board, or even the second guy off the board for the Tennessee Vols, is Felix Okpara.

Okpara was Tennessee's veteran big man last season, who finished the season with an average of 8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds. While both of these stats are great, he will likely be drafted due to his true defense. In his final season with the Vols, he finished with an average of 1.5 blocks per game, which solidified him as one of the better defenders in both the SEC and college basketball as a whole.

This last season and solid offseason so far have allowed many to believe that he will be selected in the NBA Draft. In fact, Yahoo Sports believes that he will be selected with the No. 49 pick in the draft, as they believe that the Denver Nuggets will be the team that will select him.

Yahoo Sports Projects Denver Will Select Felix Okpara

Tennessee forward Felix Okpara (34) tries to score while guarded by Michigan center Aday Mara (15) during a NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game at the United Center in Chicago on March 29, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Okpara knows his role as a player who protects the paint, runs the floor, finishes lobs, sets screens, and doesn't try to be more than that. He spent two years at Ohio State, transferred to Tennessee, and helped take the Vols to the Elite Eight as their defensive backbone. He had four blocks in the Round of 32 with clutch defense down the stretch, then a 12 and 10 double-double in the Sweet 16," Yahoo Sports said.

Okpara, being paired with Nikola Jokic, would be a deadly duo, as this would be a perfect pair of defense and offense at the position. This would give the Nuggets hope to chase their next championship.

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