A lifelong wait is finally over for Denzel Boston. The former Washington wide receiver’s dreams of an NFL career came true on Friday, when he was selected by the Browns with the 39th overall pick.
The Cleveland Browns had already selected a wide receiver—Texas A&M's KC Concepcion— with Pick No. 24 in the first round of the NFL Draft. However, the Browns clearly have a strong desire to upgrade weapons for Sheuder Sanders (or whoever ends up being the starting quarterback) as they drafted Boston early in Round 2.
Fans may not have expected the Browns to draft wide receivers back-to-back, but the two receivers will complement each other's games perfectly. Concepcion can threaten defenders over the middle with his agility, while Boston can overpower cornerbacks with his size on the outside.
Boston, a 6-foot-4 and 212-pound native of South Hill, Wash., established himself as one of the nation’s top wideouts after tallying 125 catches for 1,715 yards and 20 touchdowns across two years as a starter for the Huskies.
Cleveland went back-to-back with WR choices, grabbing both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston
As a redshirt junior in 2025, Boston led the Huskies in receptions (62), receiving yards (881), and receiving touchdowns (11). He was particularly effective when facing man coverage: He recorded with the nation’s second-most receiving touchdowns (7) against the scheme, as well as the seventh-highest Pro Football Focus receiving grade (89.7).
The #Browns take Denzel Boston! They’ve doubled up on WR after taking KC Concepcion last night, and now have an extremely talented young receiving corps to complement tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
— Beck Parsons (@BeckParsons3) April 24, 2026
Despite his talents, Boston wasn't among the five receivers selected in Round 1 yesterday. Instead, he had to wait until early Round 2 to finally hear his name read. Watching even one more wide receiver get selected ahead of him before the Browns finally took him. De'Zhaun Stribling from Ole Miss went as the top second-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers.
Boston will now take his talents to Cleveland, where the Browns will hope to capitalize on his rare physical traits. His ball skills and strong hands give him a massive catch radius, and although he’s not a speed threat, he’s got the potential to be a huge difference-maker for the Browns' offense.
Boston was the first Washington to be selected in this year’s draft, but he won’t be the last. Running back Jonah Coleman, cornerbacks Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock, offensive lineman Carver Willis, edge rusher Zach Durfee, and defensive lineman Anterio Thompson have all taken pre-draft visits with NFL teams. Follow along with The Husky Haul as we report on and analyze the rest of the 2026 NFL Draft.