Who on Chad Ford’s big board moves the needle for Celtics fans?

Courtesy: CBS Sports

When you own what could be a top 3 pick, it’s never too early to look ahead to the draft. ESPN’s Chad Ford just published his first 2017 draft board.

Here are the names, a brief scouting report and my initial uninformed, irrational reaction:

1. Josh Jackson

6-foot-8
Kansas
Freshman
Forward

There is no consensus No. 1 pick among NBA scouts right now, but it does appear that Jackson is the slight favorite. His combination of elite athleticism, competitiveness and feel for the game make him a matchup nightmare on both sides of the court.

One scout referred to him as a higher energy Andrew Wiggins, while another went with a more offensively polished Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. His inconsistent jump shot is his biggest weakness at this stage.

Inconsistent jump shot? Sounds an awful lot like Jaylen Brown. Pass.

2. Harry Giles (above)

6-foot-11
Duke
Freshman
Forward

Were it not for two torn ACLs (one during his sophomore year and one to start his senior year), Giles would be the hands-down consensus No. 1 pick right now. He’s blessed with the rare combination of both elite physical tools and basketball skills. He ticks every single box an NBA scout would look for in a modern power forward.

If those knees are 100 percent and Giles can still show off the same level of athleticism he did in high school, then he could easily end up as the top pick in 2017. However, until scouts see him prove that on the court, there’s a certain level of skepticism factored into this ranking.

Two torn ACLs? This kid makes Joel Embiid look healthy. I dug a little deeper into his scouting report and didn’t find two very important words, “rim protector.” Pass.

3. Markelle Fultz

6-foot-5
Washington
Freshman
Guard

No one has had a better spring and summer than Fultz. After dominant performances at the McDonald’s All-American game and the Nike Hoop Summit, Fultz wowed NBA scouts again by leading Team USA to a gold medal in the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. Fultz earned MVP honors for the tournament, averaging 13.8 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.0 RPG and 3.2 SPG in drawing raves from scouts.

He’s got elite size, a great feel for the game, can score from anywhere and delivers on the defensive end. In a draft loaded with stellar point guard prospects, he’s the most complete player of the group. If the team that lands the No. 1 pick needs a point guard, he’s going to be hard to pass up.

With Marcus Smart guaranteed to make the leap, Terry Rozier dominating Summer League and Isaiah Thomas in the fold, I don’t see a need for a guard. Pass.

4. Dennis Smith

6-foot-2
NC State
Freshman
Guard

Fultz may be the top-ranked point guard prospect in the draft right now, but he certainly has plenty of competition. Smith tore his ACL last summer playing for Team USA but seemed to show off a full recovery at Adidas Nations last week.

Smith is one of the most explosive athletes in the draft and is a monster off the bounce and finishing at the rim. His quickness and aggressiveness are great on both ends of the court as well. He’s very, very difficult to stop when his jump shot is falling

If his knee holds up all year and he has a dominant freshman season, he could move into the discussion for the No. 1 pick. He’s that special.

Another guard and another torn ACL? Pass.

What else you got? Alright Danny, you’re on the clock. Let’s make a deal.