With the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Jazz have selected Darryn Peterson, the 6-foot-6 guard out of Kansas who averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
This is an incredible pick for the Jazz as AJ Dybantsa goes No. 1 to the Washington Wizards, leaving Peterson for Utah to claim. Many people believe Peterson is the most talented player in the draft, myself included. I truly believe Peterson could be the best guard in the NBA one day.
A true two-way guard with elite shooting and
a nasty handle, Peterson will slide right into this Jazz lineup and instantly become one of the best players on the team.
There’s obviously some risk in selecting Peterson given the injuries, character concerns, and the weird creatine story. But Peterson simply has the type of talent you don’t pass up, even with a potentially safer prospect like Cameron Boozer still on the board.
Peterson now becomes the most talented prospect the Jazz have ever drafted. That doesn’t mean he’ll become the greatest player in franchise history. Those expectations have to be earned over time. But in terms of pure talent, upside, and NBA tools, it’s difficult to find another Jazz draft pick who entered the league with this level of potential.
For a franchise searching for its next superstar, the Jazz just took a swing on a player with legitimate MVP-level upside.
