2018 NBA Draft: 5 best prospects at small forward

4. Mikal Bridges, Villanova

Bridges will take over as Villanova’s marquee prospect with Josh Hart now in Los Angeles. While he doesn’t bring the same flash that a lot of first round talents can, Bridges’ athletic profile and all-around skill-set is more than enough to earn him a spot in the first round on most draft boards.

Measuring out at 6’6” with a 7’0″ wingspan, Bridges fits the mold of what teams want on the wing defensively. He can guard 1-3 effectively, and may be able to switch onto the occasional power forward in time. He couples those tools with excellent energy and instincts as well, often locking down the opposition’s best player in isolation while getting into passing lanes and pushing through screens elsewhere.

Offensively, Bridges is a niche player more so than anything else — which is absolutely fine for somebody in his range. Likely a late first-rounder, Bridges won’t be somebody teams are asking to carry a significant load. He’ll be stationed off the ball, making cuts to the rim while spotting up with success from deep — where he hit on 39.3 percent of his shots last season.

As somebody who characterizes the 3-and-D label well, Bridges is the type of role player that has a spot in almost every NBA rotation. He’s not a first or second option, but he has the type of intangibles that will make his team better regardless of counting stats.