Bill Barnwell says these 2 wideout-needy teams could trade up for Denzel Boston

The NFL mediascape has been inundated with mock drafts in recent weeks, but few look like Bill Barnwell’s. On Monday, the ESPN staff writer released a first-round projection composed entirely of trades.

Among the 32 trades Barnwell projected are two which involve Denzel Boston, a former Huskies wide receiver and a fringe first-round prospect in the upcoming draft. Could the San Francisco 49ers or Las Vegas Raiders move up to select him? Here’s a breakdown of each potential trade and what they would mean for Boston.

San Francisco 49ers trade up from No. 27 to No. 23

The 49ers are heading into the draft with four fourth-round picks and a serious lack of young receivers, so Barnwell’s got them trading their first-round pick (No. 27) and two fourth-rounders (Nos. 127 and 133) for the Philadelphia Eagles’ position at No. 23 overall.

The 49ers lost Jauan Jennings (free agency) and Brandon Aiyuk (presumed given fallout with the team) this offseason, and replaced them with 32-year-old Mike Evans and 29-year-old Christian Kirk. Evans and Kirk, alongside third-year receiver Ricky Pearsall, might form a functional receiver room in 2026, but the 49ers would be wise to add some youth given the team’s injury history.

Landing in San Francisco could also be great for Boston, who tallied 1,715 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns across two seasons as a starter for the Huskies. I can’t think of a better mentor for the 6-foot-4 former Husky than Evans, who used his 6-foot-5 frame to tally 1,000+ receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons as a professional. 

“The 49ers could move up here for someone such as Washington receiver Denzel Boston, who could serve as a valuable YAC producer and eventual Mike Evans replacement on the outside in San Francisco,” Barnwell wrote.

Las Vegas Raiders trade up from No. 36 to No. 30

The Raiders will kick off this year’s draft on April 23, and it seems a near certainty that they’ll do so by selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. 

However, the Raiders still need to build a team around him, which is why Barnwell’s projecting them to swap an early second-round pick (No. 36) and a 2027 sixth-round pick for the No. 30 overall pick–which Barnwell has the Miami Dolphins acquiring via an earlier trade–and a 2027 third-round pick.

“If the Raiders land Mendoza's future favorite target here, they won't miss the third-round selection,” Barnwell wrote.

Barnwell’s move would put the Raiders back into the first round, where he believes they should go after a wide receiver like Boston, Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, or a former Mendoza teammate in Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. 

If Boston’s skills translate to the NFL, he’d be an ideal target for Mendoza, who won last year’s Heisman Trophy via a hailstorm of precise back-shoulder throws and beautifully-placed jump balls. Boston’s a taller and higher-rated prospect than 6-foot-2 Indiana receiver Elijah Sarratt, who tallied a team-best 15 receiving touchdowns during an effective one-year partnership with Mendoza.

The Raiders should take a hard look at Boston, because they don’t currently have any receivers who can play his big-bodied role at a WR1 level. Dont’e Thornton, the only Raiders wideout who stands above 6-foot-1, tallied just 10 catches for 135 yards last season despite playing in 15 games.