The 2027 NBA Draft is already taking shape, and there is a new name at the top of the board. Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes is the current favorite to go No. 1 overall next summer, according to the earliest mock drafts out of scouting circles.
Stokes was the top-ranked player in the entire 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. He picked Kansas over a stacked list of blue bloods. He arrives in Lawrence as a legitimate one-and-done candidate and as the centerpiece of a Bill Self roster that has real Final Four aspirations.
The 2027 class as a whole is being talked about as a step back from the star power of the 2025 and 2026 drafts. That is a relative statement. Even a down year in this era of college basketball still produces a first round full of NBA rotation players. What the 2027 class lacks in headline superstars, it might make up for in depth.
Stokes is the exception. He is a real No. 1-caliber prospect. Big frame. High-end athleticism. The kind of two-way potential that NBA teams tank multiple seasons to get a shot at. Watching him at Kansas is going to be appointment viewing for the next five months.
The competition for the top pick is going to be interesting. Freshman Bruce Branch III has been getting real buzz from scouts as another top-of-the-draft option. Smith, another top-two recruit in the 2026 cycle, is going to make his case as well. There is a scenario where the top three picks next June are all one-and-done freshmen who are barely 19 years old.
International prospects are in the mix too. Stefan Joksimovic stood out this summer in international play and has emerged as the top international prospect in the class. History says at least one European player from a class this deep ends up as a top-10 pick.
What makes Stokes the current favorite is a combination of pedigree, physical profile, and the platform he has at Kansas. Bill Self is one of the best college coaches at putting NBA prospects in position to shine. Stokes is going to get a featured role from day one. He is going to be scouted by every NBA team at every home game. He is going to have the ball in his hands in high-leverage moments.
The teams already positioning for the 2027 draft know all of this. Tanking is not officially a strategy that any franchise will admit to, but every rebuilding team is quietly hoping the ping-pong balls give them a shot at whichever prospect ends up on top of the board by April.
Right now, that prospect is Tyran Stokes. That could change by January. It could also stay exactly where it is. Either way, the 2027 NBA Draft race is officially on and the first name to know is the Kansas freshman who is about to spend a season proving what the scouts already believe.
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.
