Is Noa Essengue the right swing for the Brooklyn Nets at #8?

In our first in-depth analysis of a potential #8 overall pick for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2025 NBA Draft, I looked closely at Jeremiah Fears. There is obvious upside to his game, and the highlight package he produced as a ball-dominant guard in his lone year at Oklahoma University will be enough to make Brooklyn think twice about passing on him, if he’s even there at #8. And yet, the flaws in Fears’ profile cannot be hand-waved away — it’s hard to fall head over heels for a rim-pressuring ball-handler who struggled in the paint.

Given how often he handled the ball for an SEC club, there should be something close to a consensus within the Nets’ robust scouting department on his strengths and…