This NBA Mock Draft has Justin Edwards Going No. 1

Justin Edwards (UK Athletics Photo)

The recent ESPN early 2024 NBA mock draft had three Kentucky players in the first round — DJ Wagner, Justin Edwards and Ugonna Onyenso — all going in the first round and two more — Aaron Bradshaw and Rob Dillingham — going in the second round.

While it is way too early to pay too much attention to any 2024 NBA mock draft, they are fun to speculate about, especially when Kentucky continues to get so much love after Cason Wallace was the only first-round pick for UK in the recent NBA draft.

Bryan Kalbrosky, writing USA Today’s For The Win, released his mock draft and had Edwards, a top five recruit in the 2023 class, going No. 1 overall. The national NBA writer knows not everyone will have Edwards No. 1 but he likes the UK freshman.

Here’s part of what he wrote about the 2024 draft and Edwards:

“We are going in a different direction and crowning Kentucky’s Justin Edwards with the pole position. He was one of the best players at the 2022 Nike EYBL Orlando circuit, averaging 19.3 points per game while shooting 55.3 percent from beyond the arc.”

The USA Today writer said one NBA scout told him Edwards was the “safest” choice to be No. 1.

“I know what I’m getting: Good positional size, can make open 3-pointers, aggressive downhill attacker and athletic above the rim,” the scout told Kalbrosky.

Edwards is a perimeter player with a variety of skills who could fill a variety of offensive roles for UK. He also has a tenacity that college basketball analysts like.

Edwards should also benefit from having Wagner, the No. 6 projection in this draft, at point guard. Dillingham and Edwards were also projected as top 20 picks.