Utah walked out of the draft lottery with the No. 2 pick, and CBS Sports’ latest mock draft awards them the player their fan base has dreamed about since his time at Utah Prep: AJ Dybantsa. After Washington takes Darryn Peterson first overall, CBS frames this as Utah’s dream scenario — a prospect who starred at BYU and has deep ties to the state landing in the arms of the Jazz.

Dybantsa is the consensus top prospect in this class by nearly every other evaluator. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists at BYU while shooting 33.1% from three — a mark that will need to improve, but one that doesn’t diminish what he already is as a scorer. At 6-foot-9, he bends, shifts, and explodes with the ball in a way that draws comparisons to elite shot-creators already in the league. His ceiling is legitimate MVP territory, and his floor is still a quality starter who reshapes a franchise’s competitive outlook.

The opportunity cost for Utah is a fascinating one. Waiting right behind them at No. 3 is Cameron Boozer — the Duke freshman who posted 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from three. Boozer is the most polished player in the class and has been called the player with “the highest level of winning fiber” in the draft by an NBA executive surveyed in a recent poll. Passing on Boozer at No. 2 is a statement about upside over polish, and Utah is clearly making that bet with Dybantsa.

Other outlets diverge sharply here. Bleacher Report, Tankathon, and Yahoo Sports all have Darryn Peterson falling to Utah at No. 2 — the flip scenario from CBS’s mock. That split reflects the genuine uncertainty about which of the two players deserves the top selection, and by extension, which one Utah would receive. Either way, the Jazz emerge from the top two picks as a winner.

Outlet	Projected Player
CBS Sports	AJ Dybantsa
Bleacher Report	Darryn Peterson
Tankathon	Darryn Peterson
Yahoo Sports	Darryn Peterson

The Jazz’s roster context makes either prospect an ideal fit, but Dybantsa in particular is a structural match. Keyonte George is an ascending backcourt playmaker who needs a complementary weapon alongside him, not a ball-dominant creator competing for the same offensive reps. Dybantsa’s size, off-ball movement, and paint-driving ability make him a natural complement in that role early, with the upside to grow into a primary option as the team matures around him.

Utah’s long, versatile frontcourt — bolstered by the mid-season acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. — gives the Jazz legitimate two-way credibility heading into next season. This is not a ground-up rebuild. It is a directed construction project with a clear vision: surround a star perimeter player with length, defenders, and shooters, and build a contender from the outside in. Dybantsa slots into that architecture perfectly.

The three-point shooting will ultimately define Dybantsa’s ceiling. His 33.1% mark at BYU is passable but not where it needs to be for an NBA wing who will regularly operate off the ball and must punish closeouts. Everything else in his profile translates cleanly: driving ability, foul-drawing, mid-range creation, defensive motor. If his perimeter shot catches up to the rest of his game, Utah just drafted the next franchise cornerstone in their own backyard.