Tyler Tanner
Tyler Tanner is a PG from Vanderbilt, sitting in the #23–#65 band on public boards. His best NBA-level skill is real pull-up shot-making at 5'11"; the swing question is 5'11" without shoes. For Detroit at #21: Energy backup PG with second-unit creation.
Combine intel pending. Measurements, workout reports, and team interviews land here as they break.
Per-36 Stats
Wake Forest · 33.5 MPG · static profile seed
Best NBA comp for Tyler Tanner?
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- Cade5/5
- Ausar4/5
- Duren5/5
- Grit4/5
Energy backup PG with second-unit creation.
Tanner gives Detroit a true backup point guard behind Cade — a role the bench has been hunting since the rebuild started. Real PnR creation, on-ball pressure, and shot-making in a small package. Late first / early second range bet.
The Report
Tanner is the smallest player projected to go in the first round — and the tape makes a real case that the size doesn't matter as much as the math says. He's a 19.5-point, 5.1-assist, 2.4-steal guard at Vanderbilt running a real college offense, and the calling card is a combination you almost never see at his height: live-dribble pull-up shot-making plus genuine defensive disruption.
The shot is the bet. He's hitting 36.8% from three on healthy volume, 85% from the line, and the off-the-dribble pull-up — both the floater and the mid-range two — is where he creates the most separation. Cyro Asseo's Darren Collison comp lands cleanly: same downhill burst, same comfort decelerating into pull-ups in the paint, same ability to run a second unit without needing a screen on every possession.
Defensively he's a menace. The 2.4 SPG isn't gambling — it's anticipation, hand activity, and the kind of low-base balance that lets him sit down on bigger guards without surrendering position. He'll never switch onto bigs, but he'll genuinely make life difficult for opposing point guards, and at his size that's the swing skill that makes him playable in real NBA minutes.
For Detroit, the role is specific: backup point guard behind Cade Cunningham. The bench has been searching for a true PG who can both create and defend his position; Daniss Jenkins is steady but not a shot-creator, and Marcus Sasser is more of a 2 in disguise. Tanner gives the second unit a true table-setter with shot-making and on-ball pressure — a role player swing in the back half of the first round.
- ▸Real pull-up shot-making at 5'11" — 36.8% from three, 85% FT, comfortable decelerating into mid-range two
- ▸2.4 SPG — anticipation and hand activity, not gambling
- ▸Elite first step and downhill burst — the Darren Collison comparison from Cyro Asseo lands on tape
- ▸5.1 APG with workable AST/TO — real PnR feel and short-roll vision
- ▸Plays bigger than his frame — no fear of contact at the rim, lives at the line
- ▸Pace-pusher in transition — turns defensive stops into easy looks
- ▸5'11" without shoes — physical limitations vs. NBA wings will cap his minutes in some matchups
- ▸Frame at 167 lb is concerning for an NBA grind — needs to add functional strength
- ▸Finishing at the rim against length is inconsistent — has to use floaters and runners more than scoop layups
- ▸Will get hunted in mismatch hunts — opposing offenses will try to put him in actions
- ▸Catch-and-shoot three not as proven as the pull-up — needs more reps as an off-ball shooter
- ▸Limited margin for error — small guards have a thinner path than wings of equal skill
Tanner gives Detroit a true backup point guard behind Cade — a role the bench has been hunting since the rebuild started.
If 5'11" without shoes never resolves, 5'11" without shoes — physical limitations vs.
He answers the open questions below — film, role, and reps between now and June.
Three Questions
Does the pull-up shot-making translate against NBA-length closeouts, or does the height tax the percentages?· debate →
Can he hold up physically as a backup playing 18-22 minutes a night?· debate →
Is the steal rate real anticipation that survives the NBA, or college gambling that gets punished by smarter ballhandlers?· debate →
See the room argue it out
Open the Draft Room debateWhere Scouts Disagree
No public split on Tyler Tanner yet — the scouting community is mostly aligned (or hasn't weighed in loudly enough for us to call it a real debate).
We'll log the divide here as soon as the takes start splitting.
Start the debate in the Draft Room →- Cyro Asseo's Darren Collison comp is the cleanest one in the breakdown — same downhill burst, same comfort decelerating into the pull-up.
- No Ceilings' highlights show the steal-to-transition pipeline — most of his easiest buckets start with him picking pockets at the point of attack.
- The pull-up two-pointer is more advanced than the catch-and-shoot three on tape — release point is high enough to clear length on the move.
- Plays through contact at the rim with floaters and runners, not lay-up attempts — a sign he understands his physical limitations.
Consensus
Each outlet's evaluation of the player's pure value, ignoring team fit. Bars scale inversely to rank.
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Keep digging on Tyler Tanner
Detroit-first ranking with Fit Scores.
Our latest first-round projection through pick #30.
