The 2023 NBA Draft came and went on Thursday night with no blockbuster trades being made. However, there were a few moves made in the days leading up to the draft. The Utah Jazz entered the night with three first-round choices after they deal Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert last offseason.

The emergence of Lauri Markkanen was a bright spot for Utah, and they hit a home run with their choices in the first round. Let us take a look at the three draft choices for the Jazz and give them grades for each pick.

Round 1, No. 9 overall: Taylor Hendricks, UCF

The Jazz selected UCF star Taylor Hendricks at ninth overall. He spent one year at UCF and flashed his talent all year long. He averaged 15.1 points and seven rebounds while playing in 34 games for the Golden Knights.

The Jazz could've gone with somebody like Gradey Dick, Dereck Lively II, or somebody like Jordan Hawkins or Jett Howard. However, Hendricks fits really well alongside Markkanen and Walker Kessler, and he should immediately see playing time in his rookie season. Will Hendricks become a star like some of the other lottery picks? He could be, but there are questions about his shot creation, which is the only downside for me on this selection by the Jazz.

Grade: A-

Round 1, No. 16 overall: Keyonte George, Baylor

As ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel mentioned, the Jazz had been wanting Keyonte George badly. So, they grab Hendricks at No. 9, then they are able to land George at No. 16. George was sensational for Baylor, averaging 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as the Bears made the second round of the Big Dance. Unfortunately, his performance in the NCAA Tournament was subpar. Against UCSB, he went 2-9 with nine points and then shot just 1-10 against Creighton as the Bears saw their season end to the Bluejays.

For the Jazz, the Donovan Mitchell trade as well as Mike Conley's departure allowed some openings at the guard positions, and George is a solid piece that can work well with Markkanen and Hendricks. More important,y Jazz general manager Justin Zanik raved about the talent that George brings to the table (h/t Tony Jones of The Athletic).

“Keyonte has all of the shots, shots that some people won’t ever learn. He has a confidence about him being a scorer, but he also has great vision. Right now, he’s an offensive weapon. I can see him playing on or off the ball. He’s a talented guard.”

There were certainly other options they could've gone with, especially with Cam Whitmore's stunning slide. But, if the Jazz felt that strongly about George, then you can't fault them for making this choice. There is a ton to like about this kid, and you have to like what Utah is doing for the future.

Grade: B+ 

Round 1, No. 28 overall: Brice Sensabaugh, Ohio State

The third and final selection for the Jazz was Ohio State guard Brice Sensabaugh. This is certainly one of the more interesting selections in the draft for a few reasons. For one, Sensabaugh saw his season end early with the Buckeyes due to an injury, which certainly didn't help his case leading into the NBA Draft. He also suffered injuries during his junior year in high school, so there are some red flags there.

He's another one-and-done player, but he finished the year with a Big Ten All-Freshman team and four Freshman of the Week awards. Sensabaugh is only 19 years old, but he is one of the best scorers in the entire class. The biggest question here is his health history and whether or not he can grow his all-around game.

For now, he will be a rotational player off the bench, but at the end of the first round, what more can you ask for? The talent and ceiling are there for Sensabaugh, and if he didn't have the injury issues, he likely would've gone in the top 20.

Grade: B+ 

All in all, the Jazz did exactly what they needed to with this draft class. They added a starter in Taylor Hendricks and a potential starter in Keyonte George right off the bat. On top of that, they selected a talented bench player in Sensabaugh that could be a starter in a few seasons. One big talking point is that the Jazz passed on selecting Cam Whitmore TWICE. But, the scouting department for these NBA teams certainly has done their fair share of work in the months leading up to the draft, and they certainly had players in mind.

All in all, a core of Markkanen, George, Kessler, and Hendricks is going to be fun to watch in Utah. After tearing down the roster a year ago by dealing away their stars, the Jazz are putting impressive young pieces together in hopes of turning this thing around rather quickly.