Why St. John's Forward Dillon Mitchell Could Earn a Spot in 2026 NBA Draft

After four seasons at three schools, the veteran forward has a chance to be picked this summer.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) dunks against the Northern Iowa Panthers in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NBA season has come to an end as the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to claim the team's first title in 53 years.

Now, each team in the league will turn its focus towards the 2026 NBA Draft, which is loaded with talent and could help multiple squads add depth to their rosters.

While the top picks in this year's class have garnered plenty of attention, there are a number of prospects who could be impactful at the next level that are flying under the radar.

One player who has the potential to be a solid role player at the next level also spent the 2025-26 season in New York.

St. John's Dillon Mitchell turned in a strong senior season for the Red Storm, even though he didn't produce eye-popping statistics.

Mitchell helped St. John's win the Big East and reach the Sweet 16, averaging 8.3 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 55.9% from the field. A former five-star recruit, the former Montverde Academy star was rated the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 2 small forward in the 2022 cycle.

Mitchell began his college career at Texas, where he spent two seasons, before playing at Cincinnati as a junior then finishing at St. John's.

Across his three schools and four years in college basketball, Mitchell played in 144 games and made 131 starts. While being an older prospect could lower Mitchell's stock, his experience should make him ready to contribute to an NBA team early in his professional career.

Additionally, Mitchell's athleticism and size should make him a solid rotation player, especially after operating as a role player throughout his time in college.

At the NBA Combine, the All-Big East honoree measured 6-foot-6-and-three-quarters without shoes, recording a 6-foot-10-and-a-half wingspan while weighing 202 pounds.

Mitchell's lack of perimeter shooting could also be a concern for NBA teams, as the veteran wing player shot 6.7% from beyond the arc as a senior on 0.4 attempts per game.

While the former Texas, Cincinnati and St. John's forward needs to work on his shot to be a high-level role player, Mitchell already has the skill set to be a solid play finisher, rebounder and defender.

With the aforementioned traits, Mitchell would be a good pick in the second round for a team that is looking to fill out its rotation with versatile role players.

In a recent projection, Derek Parker of NBA Draft on SI paired the 22-year-old with the Atlanta Hawks at No. 57 overall.