Utah Jazz Mock Draft 1.0: Who Will Be Available at No. 5?

5. VJ Edgecombe | Baylor, G

Stats: 33 G, 15.0 PTS, 5.6 REB, 3.2 AST, 2.1 STL, 43.6 FG%, 34.0 3PT%, 78.2 FT%

Rutgers wing Ace Bailey seems like a strong and versatile fit with the Philadelphia 76ers at three, and there's an increasing amount of buzz surrounding Duke's Kon Knueppel to be a top-five pick, potentially pinning him to be aligned with the Charlotte Hornets at four.

If that's the scenario that plays out, the Jazz could get their hands on Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, one of the best guard prospects in this year's class, with the long-awaited star ceiling Utah has been coveting since pressing the reset button on the franchise three summers ago.

This might finally be the offseason we see the likes of Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson shipped out of this Jazz backcourt, leaving a perfect route for the Jazz to pick up another young guard to fit into their core of Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier. Edgecombe is perhaps the best available name on the board and enters as an explosive, athletic piece with high two-way upside.

His fit within the Jazz's existing backcourt would be an interesting one. For strong on-ball players like George and Collier, he'd likely be another to fit into that mix to get his highest impact at the next level, so that makes for an intriguing three-guard rotation to work out for Will Hardy. But, for a Utah front office that should be focused on taking the best available talent here at five, the Baylor guard would probably be the best route to go here.

21. Cedric Coward | G, Washington State

Stats: 6 G, 17.7 PTS, 7.0 REB, 3.7 AST, 0.8 STL, 1.7 BLK, 55.7 FG%, 40.0 3PT%, 83.9 FT%

Cedric Coward didn't get much playing time last season due to a season-ending labrum tear, but it hasn't stopped him from being one of the biggest risers during this year's draft cycle, and an appealing fit for the Jazz if he falls to 21. A player who was on the verge of transferring to Duke next season, now finds his way to a potential top-20 draft pick.

Coward has great size on the wing, measuring 6-foot-5 without shoes with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, while also having nice athleticism to pair with to make him a strong fit on the defensive end on the next level. And while his last season of production with Washington State came with a small sample size, he proved during his time with Eastern Washington that he can be an effective and translateable shooter in the NBA.

The Jazz, a team that could use impact defenders and consistent shooters around the roster, could find a ton of value in Coward as a young, long-term piece on the wing, a guy also viewed to have some of the best upside in the entire class.

43. Ryan Kalkbrenner | C, Creighton

Stats: 35 G, 19.2 PTS, 8.7 REB, 1.5 AST, 2.7 BLK, 65.3 FG%, 34.4 3PT%, 68.1 FT%

He's one of the more NBA-ready and older players for the taking, but for a Jazz team eager to add talent around the roster wherever they can, perhaps taking a second-round swing on Kalkbrenner would be a worthwhile investment.

The Jazz recently brought in Kalbrenner for a pre-draft workout , and could add in the Creighton center as an experienced depth piece to place behind Kessler. He's got appealing length, rim protection upside, and someone who could have the chance to be a long-term frontcourt fit alongside Kyle Filipowski in the second unit.

53. Koby Brea | G, Kentucky

Stats: 36 G, 11.6 PTS, 3.2 REB, 1.3 AST, 0.3 STL, 0.5 BLK, 47.0 FG%, 43.5 3PT%, 80.2 FT%

Koby Brea is one of, if not the best, three-point shooter in this year's class, so there's easy utility for the Kentucky guard on an NBA roster – even if he may be a potential pickup in the back-end of round two.

For the Jazz, a team that ranked bottom-ten in the NBA for three-point percentage last season, could definitely see some value in a pickup of Brea if his name were still lingering on the board towards the end of the draft. He still leaves a bit to be desired in other areas of his game, and may have some room to grow besides his shooting ability to be a long-term sticking piece in the league (particularly on the defensive side), but at pick 53, he'd be a more than worthy of a dart throw for the Jazz.

More Utah Jazz Content

• Suns Trying to Trade Two Former Utah Jazz Players
• Insider Drops Major Intel on Potential Utah Jazz Draft Trade
• Utah Jazz Bring in Potential Lottery Guard for Draft Workout
• Utah Jazz Announce Official Summer League Schedule
• Lauri Markkanen's Strong Statement After Frustrating Season With Jazz