NBA Draft Profile: VJ Edgecombe’s Athleticism, Versatility Make Him Enticing Pick for 76ers at No. 3

The Philadelphia 76ers hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. With the draft just under a month away, there is plenty of time to dissect the multiple potential options the Sixers have at the No. 3 pick. VJ Edgecombe, a versatile guard from Baylor, is an intriguing prospect the Sixers should consider selecting at No. 3.

Ace Bailey

Combine measurements: 6-foot-4 (without shoes), 193.2 pounds

2024-25 stats: 33 games, 32.7 minutes, 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, 43.6% from the field, 34.0% from 3-point range, 78.2% from the free-throw line

Strengths:

Edgecombe’s entire game is centered around his top-end athleticism. He possesses elite physical tools such as lightning-fast speed, agility and a vertical that measured at over 40 inches at the NBA draft combine. All of those traits combine to make him one of the best pure athletes in this year’s draft class.

His combination of athleticism and size (6-foot-4 without shoes, 6-foot-7 1/2 wingspan and 8-foot-5 1/2 standing reach) is what makes him a strong defender. He excelled at finding ways to get his hands on the ball and be a disruptive defender. In his lone season at Baylor, Edgecombe averaged 2.1 steals per game. While he has the tools to be an elite point-of-attack defender, the 19-year old truly shines as an off-ball defender. He has the length and quickness to disrupt the passing lanes and generally be a nuisance for opposing offenses. Edgecombe’s athleticism also gives him an uncanny ability, for someone his size, to block and contest shots at the rim.

Holy cow, VJ Edgecombe chasedown block pic.twitter.com/tBNTsbKfWf

— Ricky O’Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 9, 2025

On the other end of the floor, Edgecombe is at his best when driving to the basket. His burst and straight-line speed make him tough to stop once he gets his momentum going downhill. Once he gets to the rim, his leaping ability makes him liable to explode and put his defender on a poster. Edgecombe is also not afraid of drawing contact around the rim and getting to the free-throw line. He had multiple games at Baylor with 10-plus free throw attempts. The biggest area he excels at is using his combination of speed and explosiveness at the rim to attack in transition.

VJ Edgecombe transition scoring.

64.4% FG at the rim in transition (1.144 PPP). pic.twitter.com/6aXI66ukWU

— Mohamed (@mcfNBA) May 8, 2025

In addition to scoring in transition, Edgecombe is also a capable playmaker. While his playmaking skills will not amaze anyone, he does have the requisite vision and passing skills to be a solid secondary playmaker at the NBA level. It is easy to see Edgecombe’s path to becoming an effective two-way player for whichever team selects him in this year’s draft.

Weaknesses:

Edgecombe already possesses a lot of the skills necessary to be a productive NBA player. However, there are multiple areas that need to be refined in order for him to reach his full potential. While he is great at using his athleticism to attack in transition, he is an unpolished player in the half-court offense. His ability to attack a set defense is limited by unpolished ball handling and a lack of consistent outside shooting. Edgecombe is a fantastic athlete, but he at times relies too much on his athleticism. This most often can be seen from him launching himself from too far away from the basket or lacking the body control to maneuver midair when challenged at the rim. Until he is able to improve in these areas, Edgecombe is going to struggle scoring off the dribble.

One other big weakness in Edgecombe’s skillset is his outside shooting ability. He shot just 34.0% from 3-point range in his lone season at Baylor. However, a deeper dive into the numbers paints a picture of optimism about his potential to improve his outside shooting. Edgecombe struggled to shoot off the dribble, knocking down just 20.0% of his 30 off-the-dribble 3-point attempts in college. His numbers are drastically better in catch-and-shoot situations. Edgecombe connected on 36.3% of his 3-pointers off the catch on a much larger sample size (124 attempts). In addition, Edgecombe had a 15 game stretch mid-season where he shot 43.8% from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts per game. His solid free-throw percentage (78.2) and smooth shooting form also serve as positive indicators of his chances at improving his outside shooting at the next level.

Final Take:

Edgecombe’s defense and athleticism should result in him becoming, at worst, a valuable role player in the NBA. The key swing factor in his overall trajectory is how many strides he can make offensively. He already has enough tools to be a solid off-ball scoring threat. Given his overall skillset, his lack of a proven consistent jumper and struggles attacking in the half-court should not prevent him from being among the first names selected on draft night.

Should the Sixers take Edgecombe with the third pick in the draft? Philadelphia could use another player who excels defensively and plays with a high motor. The positional fit is not great considering the Sixers already have Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes (pending restricted free agent) on the roster. However, Sixers’ president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has emphasized the team will prioritize drafting the best player available regardless of positional fit.

A case could also be made that the worries about Edgecombe’s fit in Philadelphia are a bit overblown. Once he bulks up, Edgecombe should have the size and ability to defend both shooting guards and small forwards at the NBA level. His positional versatility could give the Sixers flexibility to tinker around with different three-guard lineups.

Edgecombe possesses the skillset to make him an NBA contributor right out of the gate. If he can refine his ball handling and outside shooting ability, Edgecombe has the potential to become a highly versatile two-way player. Regardless of the questions about his potential fit in Philadelphia, Edgecombe would be a great addition to the roster. The Sixers are in desperate need of an injection of both youth and instant production. Selecting Edgecombe with the third pick would check both of those boxes.