What the experts say
(as of 5/30/19)
ESPN [$] (Jonathan Givony): 42nd
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor): 23rd
Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 35th
Sporting News (Chris Stone): N/A
The Athletic [$] (Sam Vecenie): 41st
The Stepien (Composite Rank): 33rd
The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): N/A
Quotes:
Despite the injury setback he suffered late into this year’s NCAA Tournament, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated offered up why Okeke may be an interesting gamble for an NBA team to take, considering his skill set:
"“Where he might have once been something of a tweener, Okeke is an interesting fit from a positionless standpoint given his ability to knock down shots, rebound and defend both forward spots. He’s light on his feet, has great hands and racks up blocks and steals. If he continues to improve as a shooter and expand his perimeter game, Okeke could blossom as a low-usage role player at the NBA level. He fits a useful mold as a combo forward, and the fact he’s injured may not preclude teams from taking a chance.”"
On the flip side, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie noted how much Okeke’s injury has disrupted his draft stock and how teams around the league viewed him prior to that in his latest mock draft:
"“NBA teams had Okeke marked down as a potential late first round pick after a terrific season at Auburn where he played high-level defense, knocked down shots, and was the glue for an eventual Final Four team. But his torn ACL in the Sweet 16 threw all of that for a loop.”"