AJ Dybantsa Is the Locked-In No. 1 Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Every Mock Says So.
AJ Dybantsa is going No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. There is no more debate. Every major mock draft in the country has the BYU star at the top of the board, and the Washington Wizards are reportedly locked in on taking him.
Dybantsa is projected first in 10 of 10 recent mock drafts. The lottery dropped a week ago. Washington won the top pick. The board is set.
The case for Dybantsa is straightforward. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game last season at BYU, shooting 51 percent from the field. He led the nation in scoring as a freshman. He earned first-team All-American honors. He took over college basketball as soon as he stepped on campus.
The eye test is even more impressive. Dybantsa is 6-foot-9 with a real wing skill set. He can create his own shot. He can defend three positions. He has fluid athleticism and a quick release. He plays with a confidence that says he expects to be the best player on the floor every night.
The comparison most often used is a young Paul George. Some scouts prefer Jayson Tatum. The most accurate read is probably somewhere in between, with elements of both and a higher ceiling thanks to his playmaking instincts.
The class behind him is also strong, which is what makes Dybantsa the unanimous pick. Cameron Boozer, the Duke freshman and Carlos Boozer’s son, is the favorite at No. 2. Darryn Peterson at Kansas is right there at No. 3. Caleb Wilson at North Carolina rounds out the top tier.
This is the deepest draft class in years. The top of the board is loaded. Teams in the bottom half of the lottery are going to get real talent.
For Dybantsa, the next few days are about hitting his marks. He is reportedly traveling to D.C. this week for a final pre-draft visit with the Wizards. The team has already signaled the workout is essentially a formality. The pick is in.
What Washington needs from him is patience. Dybantsa is a rare prospect, but he is also stepping into a young roster that needs years to develop. He will not have an established veteran star to lean on. He will be the centerpiece on day one.
The good news is Dybantsa has handled big stages already. He led BYU into the NCAA Tournament. He has navigated NIL pressure. He has dealt with constant media attention since high school. The transition to the NBA spotlight will not faze him.
The 2026 draft is going to be remembered as a watershed class. Dybantsa is the headliner. Cameron Boozer behind him is a star in his own right. Three or four more first-rounders are going to play in All-Star Games someday.
Step one happens Tuesday night. The Wizards walk to the podium. They take AJ Dybantsa. The next era starts immediately.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
