1 Strength and 1 Concern for Utah Jazz's Top Targets at No. 2 Pick

The clock is slowly counting down before the Utah Jazz will officially be on the clock for their long-anticipated second-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

And in the weeks since the Jazz were able to get lucky in this year's draft lottery, there have been three prospects sticking out as the names to watch as the most likely pick for Utah: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer (sorry, Caleb Wilson).

Each of those three has seen at least some discussion of being the Jazz's selection at number two. A few analysts have even sparked conversations around whether each of those three could be worthy of the number one pick.

There's a good case to be had for each in terms of being a fit for the Jazz. All three have their respective strengths and weakness that stand out as any top draft prospect has, and those small intricacies could be what ends up separating them by a narrow margin once the draft arrives at the end of the month.

So as we're still stuck waiting for the Jazz's verdict on pick two becoming final, let's sort through one big strength and one concern to factor in when evaluating each of Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer as a fit in Utah:

AJ Dybantsa | BYU

Nov 28, 2025; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Brigham Young University Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) reacts after making a three point basket against the Dayton Flyers in the second half during the ESPN Events Invitational at State Farm Field House. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Strength: Size & Skillset Combination

A player in Dybantsa's mold as a lengthy scoring wing is an archetype that NBA GMs only dream of being able to land. And it's why he's the odds-on favorite to end up as the number-one pick on the board.

Dybantsa's knack for the mid-range is one of the best in the class. His numbers scoring at the rim are also notably impressive; shooting 51% from the field with a true shooting percentage of 60%.

That scoring versatility and efficiency become especially potent when factoring in that he's an athletic, 6-foot-9 wing with a 7-foot wingspan.

BYU's AJ Dybantsa measured 6'8.5 barefoot and 217 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, with a 7'0.25 wingspan and 8'10 standing reach.

In line with his past measurements, and still elite dimensions for an NBA wing. pic.twitter.com/ieVet2rRju
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 11, 2026

The Jazz have seen what Dybantsa brings to the table up close in the years that he's been attending high school and college in the state of Utah. Adding that size and scoring ability into their budding offensive unit would be a dream for Will Hardy and his system.

Concern: The Three-Point Shot

The scoring upside is certainly appealing for Dybantsa, but one aspect of that side of his game which has yet to really come around as expected is his three-point shot.

He shot 33.1% from deep on a little over four attempts during his first year at BYU, which isn't exactly ideal for any offensive-minded wing who's bound to be a go-to scoring option at the next level.

Prospects are often able to refine that jumper at the next level in due time. And if Dybantsa does, he'll be a dangerous offensive threat on a nightly basis for opposing defenses.

There have also been several cases where prospects don't ever find that jump-shot as expected, and end up severely limiting their ceiling at the next level. So for whoever ends up picking up Dybantsa between the Jazz or the Washington Wizards, keying in on that skill will be critical to get right early on.

Darryn Peterson | Kansas

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) on the line in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Strength: Offensive Upside

There's so much to like with Peterson when it comes to being a force on the offensive side of the ball.

During his one season at Kansas, he averaged over 20 points a night in less than 30 minutes per, shot over 48% on two-pointers and over 38% on threes, showed an elite level of shot-making from the mid-range, and has overwhelmingly impressive advanced stats in terms of his offensive production (8.4 OBPM, 30.9% USG).

Darryn Peterson off the bench against Kansas State:

27 PTS | 10-15 FG | 5 REB | 4 AST | 29 MINS pic.twitter.com/G4682Wefcf
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 7, 2026

All of those traits can certainly translate to the NBA level. And if that can be paired with strong defensive outputs like he projects to also possess with an above-average frame and athleticism, there are no questions as to why the Jazz could be infatuated with him as a fit at pick two.

Concern: The Medicals

The most obvious concern with Peterson has to be what things look like from a medical and health perspective.

If everything goes right for Peterson, he might end up being the best talent in the draft. But a talent like his can only be as valuable as he projects to be when he's on the floor. And last season at Kansas, that was the biggest factor of all that's led to his stock being in flux.

Peterson missed 11 games during his one year at Kansas due to various reasons. In seven other games that he ended up appearing in, he played less than 25 minutes.

Peterson has since attributed those health concerns to creatine usage, and many sources seem to indicate that he's back to 100% leading into the draft.

That's at least a little bit refreshing. But if those health and availability concerns end up arising in the pros, it could make an investment as high as the second-overall pick go south pretty quickly.

Cameron Boozer | Duke

Nov 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots a free throw against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Strength: Winning Pedigree

In terms of raw team success, Boozer is undoubtably the cream of the crop in this group of three top names. He had a 114-14 win-loss record in high school, was dominant at the AAU level, lost just three times during his time at Duke for a combined total of five points.

It's hard to find any player who's had that level of sustained success and production on the floor as a nightly 20 and 10 guy––let alone for a prospect who won't even be 19 years old on draft night.

Cameron Boozer GOES OFF against Stanford 🔥

30 PTS | 12-17 FG | 2-3 3PT | 14 REBS | 3 AST | 33 MIN pic.twitter.com/sR0P4eft6R
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) January 18, 2026

It also helps that Boozer has NBA DNA as part of the package as well.

His father, Carlos Boozer, was a multiple-time All-Star who was a key part in the Jazz's Western Conference Finals run in 2007, and we've seen many examples in the past of how that DNA can be a strong indicator that a prospect can be a productive NBA player.

Concern: Lack of Athleticism & High Ceiling

Physically, Boozer might have the most NBA-ready frame of these top three. He's 6-foot-8 at over 250 pounds. But the athleticism to pair with that does tend to be the least appealing when compared to the top of the class.

In a league where high-level athleticism tends to be more and more important, that does take a hit to Boozer's overall ceiling, which has also been a topic of conversation that's led to him falling into the third-best prospect on the totem pole.

A 6-foot-8 scoring wing and a 6-foot-5 two-way guard do have the edge in terms of ceiling over a 6-foot-8 big man, even when factoring in how good Boozer might be at the NBA level right away. And if the Jazz are looking to truly hit a home run with their second pick, Boozer might end up being more of a base hit.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google