Mock Draft Blind Spots: 2026 Prospects Who Deserve More Attention
Players without first-round buzz who still check NBA boxes
Identifying value outside the consensus top tier of the NBA Draft is one of the most underrated skills in team building. Every year, front offices search for players who may not dominate mock drafts in January but ultimately prove they belong on draft night. That value doesn’t always come from obvious places, and it almost never comes with early buzz.
It’s also important to note that it’s far too early to label anyone a “second-round gem.” Draft processes are fluid, narratives change quickly, and players rise and fall as seasons unfold. Instead, this piece focuses on players I consistently see mocked outside the top 30—or not mocked at all—who I believe are clearly draftable, deserving of more attention, and capable of working their way into firmer first-round conversations.
History shows that players fitting this profile often exist well before draft night. Around this point in their respective cycles, Nikola Jokić wasn’t viewed as anything more than a stashable big man and ultimately fell to 41st overall. Ajay Mitchell wasn’t carrying first-round buzz this time last year before sliding to 38th, and Maxime Raynaud quietly fell to 42nd despite being viewed internally by some teams as a clear rotation-caliber center. None of those players were consensus top-30 prospects during the early stages of their draft evaluations—but all were very much draftable.
The league has also changed. NIL money has made it easier than ever for players to return to school without sacrificing financial security, reshaping the draft landscape. A player who may have gone in the 20s a few years ago can now stay in college, develop, and re-enter the process with legitimate lottery upside. As a result, several draftable prospects are being pushed down boards—or left off them entirely—for now.
This isn’t a ranking, and it isn’t a prediction of where these players will land. It’s simply a look at prospects who have gone under the radar, lack widespread first-round buzz, and yet consistently flash traits NBA teams value. If the draft were held today, these are names I believe deserve to be part of the conversation.
