Grading the Nuggets' No. 49 Selection of St. John's F Bryce Hopkins

After deciding to trade down the board from their first round pick at No. 26 on Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets have landed on both of their second rounders on the following day.

The first of those ended up being Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile at pick 35, and now the second of those has wound up being St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins at 49th-overall.

Let's break down what the Nuggets are getting out of Hopkins with an instant grade for the selection:

Nuggets Getting Versatile Wing in Bryce Hopkins

Hopkins, currently a 24-year-old forward that'll be 25 by the time next season kicks off, spent five years at the college level between three programs–– Kentucky, Providence, and his latest being at St. John's–– but really only got to showcase his tools in two of those seasons.

His first with Kentucky was in a reserve role where he played just six minutes a game, and he spent two years recovering from a torn ACL at Providence before rising returning to full health with the Red Storm this past season.

In those 37 games played, he averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists, along with a steal night to show some appealing traits on the defensive end as well.

Hopkins certainly comes into the Nuggets' roster with some appealing physical traits: he's 6-foot-6, weighing in at 218 pounds paired with a near 6-foot-11 wingspan, and tends to use that size and length to his advantage as someone who can make an impact on both ends fo the floor.

Mar 14, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Bryce Hopkins (23) reacts after a made three point basket against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half of the men's Big East Conference Tournament Championship at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

His calling card tends to be surrounding his rebounding, which certainly jumps out despite his smaller frame when going against the trees inside.

He's also a strong scorer on the interior that he showcased this past season with St. John's, as he averaged a career-best 46.9% from the floor on just around 10 shots a night.

Hopkins need to refine his shooting skills just a bit to be a confident threat from outside at the NBA level. He was a career 32.4% shooter from beyond the arc in college, but like his efficiency from the inside, saw that number jump to over 36% this past season under Rick Pitino.

Now, he gets to join Denver's number-one ranked offense, where he can bring an immediate spark of versatility and two-way upside, which was certainly needed for this Nuggets group heading into this offseason, and will be someone who competes for a back-end roster spot.

Grade: B-

In this range of the draft, especially for a win-now team like Denver, you're looking for guys who can contribute to winning right away. And on paper, Hopkins tends to fit their needs, while having a polished and versatile enough game to create an impact in multiple ways.

At the same time, he's already going to be 25 on opening night for next season, and has already had to work through an extensive knee injury that sidelined him for nearly two whole seasons. Will he get much better than he is right now? Can his shot continue to develop that makes him a truly reliable player on both ends?

Both remain to be seen. But at least in terms of what the Nuggets needed to be looking for in this draft with the picks they had––length, wing depth, two-way upside––he checks those boxes. So Denver at least gets a passing grade for this one.

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