Where Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley stands in mock drafts heading into NBA Combine

Blake Wesley begins perhaps his most important pre-draft event Wednesday. The Notre Dame guard will participate in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, though he will not play in the five-on-five scrimmages.

Wesley enters the combine with firm first-round projections in mock drafts and on big boards. The 6-5, 185-pound freshman has appeared as high as the late lottery in some mocks since he emerged on NBA radars early in the 2021-22 season. His more commonly forecasted landing spot in the June 23 draft, though, is the late teens or somewhere in the 20s.

If Wesley is chosen, he would be Notre Dame’s first one-and-done draft pick. He turned himself into one despite arriving as the No. 100 recruit in his class, per the On3 Consensus. He led Notre Dame in scoring this year, at 14.4 points per game. He shot 40.4 percent from the field and 30.3 percent on three-pointers.

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Here’s where he stands in recent mock drafts and prospect rankings heading into the combine.

The Ringer

The Ringer lead draft analyst Kevin O’Connor slotted Wesley as the No. 19 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in his updated mock, released Monday.

“How sure are we about D’Angelo Russell?” O’Connor wrote. “Be honest. Is he really the starting point of a contending team? I like him, but I don’t think he’s that guy. He will also be a free agent in 2023. The Wolves should be considering a successor here, possibly even a player who could make DLo expendable sooner than later.

“Wesley isn’t necessarily ready yet. He’s raw, but he’s a bucket-getter who has shown a willingness to be a playmaker. Minnesota is building a roster with a lot of guys who can handle the ball. Wesley is the high-upside guard who can develop alongside Anthony Edwards and come off the bench behind Russell and Patrick Beverley for now.”

Wesley is the No. 18 player and No. 8 wing on O’Connor’s big board.

CBS Sports

Kyle Boone has Wesley as the No. 27 pick to the Miami Heat in his latest mock.

“Wesley’s primary appeal out of Notre Dame is his scoring ability from the guard spot and his mature frame,” Boone wrote. “He’s adept at getting to his spots, creating with the ball in his hands and getting to the line by pressuring the rim. His efficiency took a hit down the stretch, and he’s still plenty raw as a prospect, but there’s a lot to like here for someone who just turned 19.”

Wesley is Boone’s No. 24 overall prospect.

ESPN

The latest ESPN mock, released in late April, pegged Wesley as the No. 22 pick to the Memphis Grizzlies.

“So far the Grizzlies have hit on both ready-made college stars (Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke, Dillon Brooks) and talent swings (Ziaire Williams), with Wesley falling more in the latter category,” ESPN draft analyst Mike Schmitz wrote. “Memphis played with the fourth-fastest pace in the NBA during the regular season, and few prospects are as dynamic in the open floor as the 6-5 Notre Dame standout.

“Wesley has NBA burst off the bounce and the tools to defend either guard spot, which he did with much more intensity as the collegiate season progressed. Wesley’s inconsistency beyond the arc (30% from 3), sometimes erratic decision-making and high-usage style (31.3) make him more of a long-term prospect, but he’d give Memphis a level of juice off the bounce the Grizzlies don’t have in the backcourt outside of franchise star Ja Morant.”

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The Athletic big board

Wesley is the No. 24 prospect in The Athletic draft analyst Sam Vecenie’s rankings. Vecenie last released a mock draft in early April, and Wesley was the No. 25 overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks in it.

“Wesley is an extremely talented shot creator, a dynamic guard who can legitimately take on lead responsibilities and make things happen out of isolation and ball screens,” Vecenie wrote. “The act of getting past the first level of defenders and collapsing the defense is something he has no issue with.

“The only problem for Wesley right now is the final product. After college coaches got eyes on Wesley and were able to devise schemes to slow him down, he struggled immensely. Over his final 17 games of the season, Wesley shot just 36 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3. His NCAA Tournament appearances were a good encapsulation, as he shot 15-for-45 over his three games and looked a bit overwhelmed at times.

“Having said that, his ceiling is immense. You can’t really find guys who can break down defenders like Wesley every day.”