Daniel Gafford, the Bulls' second-round pick Thursday night, is actually 6 months older than Wendell Carter Jr.

And yet, where Carter stepped into an immediate starting role as a rookie last season and contributed from Day 1, the elder Gafford will become the newest project for Jim Boylen and his retooled coaching staff.

That's good news for the Bulls, who used their second of two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft on a project with upside that the front office feels excited about.

"He’s a defensive rolling center, high energy, can run the floor. He’s very athletic," John Paxson said. "His rebounding numbers, analytically, hit shot-blocking numbers were really high. He played in a really difficult conference and produced. Again, he’s a young man that’s going to have to earn his stripes. But we like him as a basketball player."

On the surface there's plenty to like about Gafford. The 20-year-old sophomore averaged 16.9 points on 66% shooting in a high-usage role for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He posted gaudy defensive numbers, too, averaging 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in nearly 29 minutes per game. His field goal attempts per game (10.1) nearly doubled the next player on the list for the Razorbacks (5.3) and he got to the line 6.0 times per game, accounting for more than 25% of all Arkansas attempts.

His raw numbers would suggest that Gafford should have been a first-round lock. After all, he was a projected Lottery pick before making the decision to return to school for his sophomore season, and his numbers improved. But Gafford's usage rate skyrocketed, thus leading to higher counting stats, and he didn't improve much in the way of an NBA prospect.

He's essentially a one-trick pony on offense, living around the rim on pick-and-rolls and offensive rebounds - he took just 16 shots outside of the paint last season. Defensively, he has solid instincts that allowed him to patrol the paint but also has a pretty thin frame at 233 pounds and shies away from contact. He doesn't fit the build of a bruiser and, again, not a whole lot changed from his freshman to sophomore season.

But second-round picks are supposed to be dice rolls. Gafford has plenty working in his favor. For starters, there should be a path to playing time behind Carter. Robin Lopez has likely priced himself out of Chicago and the Bulls should feel comfortable using Gafford in a reserve role.

He'll also be working under Roy Rogers, the former Rockets assistant who spent plenty of time transforming Clint Capela from lanky athlete to dominant rim-runner.

Gafford isn't exactly versatile - he didn't attempt a 3-pointer in 1,700 collegiate minutes - but there's still a place for athletic bigs who can run the floor. Capela is an apt comparison if only because of what he'll be asked to do on the second unit. The Bulls also took Coby White on Thursday, an indication that they're getting ready to be a faster-paced team. That means there's benefit in having a fast big man who can run the floor.

Gafford is still a project and won't contribute right away. But the Bulls will be able to mold him into a different player than what Carter provides, and it gives them depth at a position where they could really use it.

"He’s a tough-minded young guy who can run the floor, protect the rim," Paxson said. "A prototypical big guy in our game today."