Is Zach Edey a first-round pick? Exploring the strengths and weaknesses of the Purdue big man

The 2022-23 NCAA men's basketball Player of the Year, Zach Edey, pulled his name out of last year's NBA Draft to return for his senior season at Purdue. The 7-foot-4 old-school big man is once again leading his Boilermakers squad to the top of the nation, and it's just a matter of time before he once again surfaces as one of the prospects in the NBA Draft.

That said, is the Purdue 'tower of power' a first-round pick? Will he be a second-rounder, or if things don't turn out well, will he go undrafted? These questions will be explored here, alongside Zach Edey's current strengths and weaknesses as a ball player. So, let's begin.

Is Zach Edey a first-round pick?

Early projections say no. While the Purdue center is an absolute monster in college, analysts don't believe his game will translate well in the current NBA landscape, and it could be easy to see why (more on this later).

Last year, Edey was at most projected to get picked in the second round of the Draft. And this year, Bleacher Report ranked him 59th out of 101 prospects as of early January (via NBA.com). These early projections still see a lot of NBA teams preferring to gamble on guards, wings, or power forwards than someone of Edey's size and skill set.

Zach Edey NBA Draft Projection

Some say Edey will be quite lucky if he does get picked in the first round. This is despite the NBA having a "renaissance" for big men of some sort, with superstar MVP big men like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid being among the top players in the league. But the Purdue center isn't the kind of player that those top dogs are.

As previously mentioned, Edey is an old-school big man through-and-through, back to the basket, point-blank range, with a solid finishing touch in the post and a good understanding of positioning down low. He doesn't shoot the perimeter shot as well as Jokic or Embiid, and he could never match the athleticism and agility of someone like Antetokounmpo or even Victor Wembanyama.

Many teams would still love to have Edey's size to protect the rim and be a lob threat, and that's something that scouts can't fault him for. That said, a more recent mock draft by ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo did finally project Edey to be a lottery pick (via USA Today) ranking him #14. Here's what Givony had to say:

“The runaway favorite to repeat as national player of the year, Edey has found another gear with his conditioning, mobility and productivity, looking noticeably more impactful on both ends of the floor. He has shown better versatility stepping outside the paint defensively, blocking shots prolifically while drawing fouls and dunking even more than usual, finding some real swagger to his game this season."

Givony continued:

"Edey has done it against many of the top teams in college basketball, with big performances against Arizona, Alabama, Marquette and Tennessee, even showing some new facets to his game as a passer when double-teams inevitably come. While there will surely be some skepticism around his age, lack of perimeter shooting and ability to hold his own as a pick-and-roll defender, Edey has some clear virtues NBA teams can tap into early in his career and is worthy of a fresh look, possibly as a lottery-level prospect in a class lacking sure-fire contributors.”

Can Zach Edey get NIL money?

Just like a lot of popular college athletes, Zach Edey is eligible for an NIL deal. However, due to his visa issues, he was only eligible to cash out on a deal in December last year (via Sports Illustrated). With that out of the way, the Boilermakers big man was able to sign an endorsement deal with New York-based sports memorabilia startup Daps for an undisclosed amount.

What is Zach Edey majoring in?

Edey is currently enrolled in Purdue University's Krannert School of Management as an Organizational Leadership major.