Chris Taft is the complete wild-card in the NBA Draft. In Chad Ford’s breakdown of players by position, Taft has slid to #9 for Power Forwards, where once he was at the top of the list (Insider subs.)

On potential, he’s a lottery pick. On heart and desire, he’s a second-rounder. Right now, most teams seem to be down on him, but we’ve heard his name everywhere from Golden State at No. 9 to the second round. I’m not sure anyone in the history of the draft has had such a dramatic gap in the draft range. Draft range: 9-40.

In his latest Mock Draft, he has Taft just out of the 1st round, but still possible to be picked.

To confirm the unpredictability of Taft’s draft status:

Each year the Green Room list is a pretty good indication of who the NBA is hearing will likely be taken in the first 15 picks of the draft. Every year the NBA misses one or two surprises and there’s usually one guy in the room who slips (making for great TV).

Villanueva and McCants have had some of the most volatile stock of anyone in the draft, though (as you’ll read below) there’s talk that both could be in the lottery.

Here’s this year’s list: Bogut, Felton, Frye, Granger, Green, Yaroslav Korolev, Sean May, McCants, Paul, Spain’s Fran Vazquez, Villanueva, Hakim Warrick, Webster, Deron Williams, Marvin Williams and Antoine Wright.

I guess Taft’s nice new suit will look great on the telephone. Having said all that, I don’t see how Charlie Villanueva is picked over Taft. You want to talk about a guy lacking heart. Sure the guy has major talent — possibly more than Taft — but he has shown minimal desire or heart. Taft may have teased and tantalized, but it has been sighted.