What the experts say
ESPN [$] (Jonathan Givony): 34th
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor): 28th
Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 38th
Sporting News (Chris Stone): 28th
The Athletic [$] (Sam Vecenie): 32nd
The Stepien (Composite Rank): 62nd
The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): N/A
Quotes:
Standing 35th on ESPN’s Big Board, here’s what their panel of draft experts had to say in regards to weighing Edwards’ standout showing in the NCAA Tournament versus his entire work at Purdue over the last three years:
"“Edwards has the type of athleticism and Lou Williams-esque shot-making prowess the league covets. He’s an average defender at best and didn’t find the same pull-up success before breaking out in the tourney, hitting 36 percent of his off-the-dribble jumpers, according to Synergy Sports. NBA teams will have to weigh him shredding college defenses in the biggest setting of his career versus the fact that this was undoubtedly his absolute peak, something that can’t be expected on a nightly basis.”"
Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated noted Edwards’ high level shotmaking and the overall spark he provides as a real weapon that teams may look to take him as early as the first round as he ranked the Houston native 27th on his most recent Big Board:
"“His string of dominant NCAA tournament performances stood as a reminder of Edwards’ immense shot-making talent, and will go a long way toward cementing him in the first round. It’s been no secret what he’s capable of, and after two seasons as the catalyst for overachieving Purdue teams, it’s pretty clear that the attention he draws and the points he can put up quickly add real value. He’s more of a natural two-guard, but paired with a bigger playmaker, you can see a fit. Edwards will never be asked to shoot as much as he did at Purdue, some of his turnovers and mistakes were excusable based on how much time he spends with the ball in his hands. There’s some justified skepticism about his playmaking ability, but Edwards might have enough offensive juice to succeed with his present skill set.”"