Tyler Tanner NBA Mock Draft scouting report: Is Vanderbilt point guard too small for the NBA? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Tyler Tanner doesn’t exactly look like a high-level draft prospect. Listed at a generous 6-0 on Vanderbilt’s website, there were only four players shorter than him who played in the NBA during the 2025-26 season. Once the whistle blows though, it’s immediately clear why he’s showing up on mock drafts across the country.
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Tanner makes up for his lack of height with tremendous feel and explosive burst. The stats like him even more than the film. He’s become one of the analytical darlings of this class due to terrific overall production, high block and steal rates, and other statistical markers that correlate well with NBA success.
If Tanner were 6-5, he’d be a no-brainer top 10 pick. As is, he’s still an NBA-caliber player who will get drafted if he decides to leave Vanderbilt this year. Opinions are very mixed on him, but he has a good shot to go late in the first round.
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Tyler Tanner stats
|
Stat |
Average |
|
Points |
19.2 |
|
Rebounds |
3.5 |
|
Assists |
5.3 |
|
Blocks |
0.4 |
|
Steals |
2.4 |
|
Field goal % |
50.0 |
|
3-point % |
37.3 |
|
Free throw % |
85.3 |
Tyler Tanner height, weight
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Tyler Tanner strengths
Tanner is a great athlete for his size. His dunks are a beauty to behold. He has 16 on the year, which is more than other highly-touted guards in his class and the most of any player 6-0 or under this season.
Tanner uses that athleticism to figure out ways to get his shots off against the trees. He’s got great speed and shiftiness to go along with those hops. Despite giving up sizeable height, he’s hit a very solid 66.0 percent at the rim this season. He doesn’t shy away from contact, averaging a respectable 5.8 free throws per game.
Tanner’s feel is maybe his best attribute. He has a knack for carving out space and mentally mapping out the floor to figure out how to get the best looks for himself and teammates. Last season, he hit 20 assists before giving up his first turnover. He’s not quite at that level as a sophomore, but he’s still at a solid 5.3 assists to just 1.9 turnovers. He throws some creative passes that not many other guards would try.
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Tanner has the ability to play off the ball as well. He’s at an excellent 40.4 percent on catch-and-shoot 3’s, and he has one of the fastest releases in the country. While he isn’t used as a cutter much in Vanderbilt’s system, he has been an outstanding finisher on those plays, converting on 70 percent of his shots.
Tanner is a pesky defender who makes the most of what he has to work with. He reads the floor well and gets a ton of steals, jumping passing lanes and leading the SEC at 2.4 per game. He moves his feet well and his timing is good enough to where he can get some surprising blocks. He’s got a good motor and great instincts, which should help him survive where other smaller prospects fail.
He hasn’t missed a game in two years, and averaged 36 minutes per game once the SEC season started this year. Tanner has been durable despite his size.
Tanner is a fun player to watch. He’s a great college player, but the NBA is a different level. His weaknesses will become more pronounced.
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Tyler Tanner weaknesses
Tanner’s height is going to be an obvious impediment in the NBA. He’s going to get picked on a lot on defense. There’s only so much that good effort and technique can do when you’re his size. He’s going to be a one-position defender, and he will struggle when switched against bigger players.
Tanner has displayed some odd shot selection throughout his sophomore year. Too often, he isn’t willing to let it fly from 3 when he’s open, instead dribbling into worse shots.
Tanner has been solid from deep this year, hitting 37.3 percent of his 3’s. How much of that shooting is real is a question mark after he connected on just 26.6 percent of his 3’s as a freshman. It would also help his overall game if he were a more dangerous pull-up shooter. He’s at a mediocre 34 percent on just 27 attempts.
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Tyler Tanner NBA Mock Draft projection
Mock Draft projection: Late first round/early second round
It is tough to bet on Tanner despite how great he has looked at Vanderbilt. The track record for 6-foot NBA guards is not good. Some scouts can’t get past those size limitations. He has a chance to be an outlier though due to his care factor defensively and how polished he is on offense.
Tanner is projected as one of the last picks in the first round on most mock drafts. Sporting News’ Elliott Pohnl has him going No. 29 to the Cavs.
MORE: NBA Mock Draft 2026: Projecting where Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa will go
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Tyler Tanner NBA player comparison
Plays like: Tre Jones
Jones is a rock-solid backup/fringe starter in the league. He uses great craft to finish at the rim at a surprisingly high rate, showing that skill can cover up for 6-1 height.
Jones isn’t a great 3-point shooter, but he’s improved enough to where teams can’t leave him wide open. Mostly, he’s a fantastic floor general who rarely turns it over and finds a knack to make huge plays at the end of games. He is a feisty defender who outsmarts opponents and can anticipate where the ball is going, allowing him to get a lot of steals.
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There are a lot of similarities in play styles between Tanner and Jones. Tanner has an edge in that he is more athletic. Players of this mold usually end up as good backups (T.J. McConnell is another popular Tanner comparison). That seems like the most likely outcome for him too.
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