Duke basketball’s latest mock draft haul shows just how loaded the 2026-27 roster could be.
CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein slotted three Blue Devils into the first round of his newest 2027 projection, with all three landing inside the top 17. That group is led by junior center Patrick Ngongba II at No. 9 overall to the Washington Wizards, followed by sophomore wing Dame Sarr at No. 13 to the San Antonio Spurs and freshman forward Cameron Williams at No. 17.
The top-heavy showing stands out even more because no player from another ACC program is projected ahead of Duke’s lowest first-rounder. And while the 2027 NBA Draft is still more than eight months away, the early look suggests Duke could be in line for another major draft night.
Ngongba is the first Blue Devil off Finkelstein’s board. The 6-foot-11, 250-pound native of Manassas, Va., has already spent two seasons in Durham, where Duke has gone 70-7 during that stretch. He has been part of the regular rotation both years, started 28 games last season and averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds, though injuries have cost him a few games in each season.
Sarr comes next, and Finkelstein highlighted the sophomore’s defensive impact and physical tools. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound Italian started 30 of Duke’s 38 games as a freshman and finished with averages of 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
Finkelstein wrote, "Sarr is a defensive standout with good wing size and athleticism," and also noted, "He made only 32% of his threes and 53% of his free throws as a freshman at Duke. Still, there is optimism that he could be a reliable standstill floor-spacer in time and thus fit a coveted 3-and-D archetype."
Williams, meanwhile, checks in just outside the lottery at No. 17.
Finkelstein’s projection comes after a somewhat limited fall for the 7-foot, 215-pound Phoenix native, who missed some practice time because of illness and was held back some in Duke’s Blue-White scrimmage at Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 3 and in the Blue Devils’ 102-62 scrimmage win over Belmont on Oct. 8.
Even so, his recruiting profile already made him one of the most notable newcomers in the class. He arrived in Durham this summer ranked No. 4 overall and No. 1 among power forwards in the 247Sports 2026 Composite.
That class, which does not include walk-on guard Nick Arnold, ranked No. 2 nationally according to 247Sports and includes five scholarship players.
Finkelstein also pointed out that the 2027 NBA Draft will be the first under the league’s lottery reform, which he said is "designed to discourage tanking." Under that setup, there will be 16 lottery picks instead of the usual 14.
And Duke may not stop at three names in the first round. Finkelstein’s mock also has at least a couple more Blue Devils going in the second round. On top of that, the new 5-in-5 eligibility rule means every player on Duke’s 2026-27 roster would have the option to return to school next year.
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