Darryn Peterson Has a Chance to End Utah Jazz's 46-Year Rookie of the Year Drought

The Utah Jazz have used the No. 2 overall pick twice in franchise history.

Their first attempt set a pretty high bar for the second.

Utah selected Darrell Griffith out of Louisville in 1980, handing the 22-year-old a major role from the moment he arrived. Griffith responded by averaging 20.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 81 games before becoming the first Rookie of the Year in franchise history.

Forty-six years later, he remains the only one.

Darryn Peterson now gets his shot at changing that after the Jazz used the same No. 2 pick on another scoring guard in June. The comparison doesn't need to stretch much further, but Griffith's rookie season does give Peterson a pretty fun piece of Utah history to chase.

And Griffith had to earn it.

Portland guard Kelvin Ransey finished just one first-place vote behind him in the 1981 Rookie of the Year race, while Larry Smith, Kevin McHale and No. 1 overall pick Joe Barry Carroll all received votes of their own. Griffith received 19 of the 69 first-place votes, with Ransey receiving 18.

Peterson won't exactly be short on competition, either.

AJ Dybantsa went one pick before him and enters Washington with the expectations that come with being No. 1. Cameron Boozer will have his own opportunity to make an immediate case, while Caleb Wilson gives the top of the 2026 class another legitimate candidate should his game translate quickly.

Peterson gave Utah plenty to think about himself this summer.

He opened Summer League with 28 points against Atlanta before following it with 25 points and 12 assists against Boozer and Memphis. Those two performances offered an early glimpse at why Peterson doesn't have to enter the league as just a scorer.

And he doesn't necessarily need to recreate Griffith's 20.6 points per game to have a real chance at matching his accomplishment.

Peterson joins a Jazz team with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Keyonte George, giving Will Hardy several established scoring options around his rookie guard. Something in the neighborhood of 17 or 18 points, five assists and four rebounds while helping Utah make a real push toward the postseason would be a pretty impressive first season.

Barring utter dominance from Dybantsa, Boozer, Wilson or another rookie, that could also keep Peterson right in the middle of the award race.

That's what makes the Griffith comparison even more interesting.

Utah's first No. 2 pick didn't need to run away from his competition. He beat Ransey by a single vote and became the only Jazz player to win Rookie of the Year.

The franchise waited 46 years for another chance to draft this high.

Peterson has a chance to make history repeat itself.