St. John’s relentless forward brings a high-octane motor and elite defensive versatility to a roster craving physicality, offering a perfect interior complement to Joel Embiid’s dominance.
The Philadelphia 76ers need more than talent with the No. 22 pick.
They need someone who can fit.
In FanSided’s latest 2026 NBA mock draft, the Sixers were projected to select St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor. It is not the flashiest pick Philadelphia could make, but it makes plenty of sense when looking at the team’s roster needs.
Ejiofor is not a perfect prospect. He is slightly undersized for a frontcourt player, standing 6-foot-8, and he does not bring the high-volume shooting that teams usually want from a modern power forward. But his strengths are obvious. He is strong, physical, relentless, and productive.
The appeal starts with his motor.
Ejiofor plays hard. That sounds simple, but it is one of the most valuable traits a role player can bring. He competes on the glass, runs the floor, battles in traffic, and finds ways to impact possessions even when he is not the focal point offensively. Philadelphia has had too many lineups over the years that lacked that kind of consistent physical presence when Joel Embiid left the floor.
Ejiofor could help change that.
Defensively, he is the kind of player who gives a coaching staff options. His 7-foot-2 wingspan helps compensate for his lack of traditional center height, and his strength allows him to hold up against bigger players.
He is not a pure rim-protecting center, but he has the toughness and instincts to defend frontcourt players, switch in certain matchups, and provide help around the basket; the stats back up what the eye test says. His defensive box plus minus was an excellent 5.4, putting him in the 95th percentile among active players.
Offensively, Ejiofor’s best trait may be his connective passing.
He is not simply a finisher or rebounder. He can make quick reads, move the ball, attack slower defenders, and keep possessions alive without needing plays called for him. That skill would fit well next to Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Embiid. The Sixers need players who can make the right decision quickly, not players who stop the ball every time it touches their hands.
The shooting is the main concern.
Ejiofor did not take many threes at St. John’s, sitting at only 2.9 attempts per night. He didn't make many of these attempts either, sitting at a poultry 30.5%. That limits how clean the fit would be if Philadelphia views him strictly as a power forward. In today’s NBA, frontcourt players who cannot consistently space the floor have to provide value in other ways.
Ejiofor does.
His defense, rebounding, passing, and physicality give him a path to minutes even if the jumper remains inconsistent. If the shot develops, his ceiling becomes much higher. If it does not, he can still become a useful energy forward who brings toughness and keeps the ball moving.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
