North Carolina's Caleb Wilson has risen to the No. 4 spot in Kyle Boone's first in-season 2026 NBA mock draft after a strong start to the college basketball season. Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer hold steady as the top three prospects. The projection accounts for current team needs and talent evaluations one month into the season.
The 2026 NBA Draft class is shaping up as one of the best in the decade, with Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer widely regarded as the elite talents at the top. In CBS Sports' Kyle Boone's latest mock draft, released after the first full month of college basketball, Peterson is projected to go No. 1, Dybantsa No. 2 and Boozer No. 3. This reflects how NBA teams might select based on immediate needs if the draft were held today.
Caleb Wilson, a freshman at North Carolina, has impressed with exceptional performances, earning him the No. 4 spot and closing the gap on the top trio. Other rising prospects include Thomas Haugh at Florida, who has continued his strong play from last season, and freshmen Mikel Brown Jr. and Koa Peat, who have boosted their draft stock early on.
Boone emphasizes that this mock is not a strict ranking of players but a simulation of team selections considering available talent and roster requirements. The draft landscape remains fluid, with changes expected as the season progresses toward June 2026.
