Denzel Boston is already separating himself from the NFL's rookie WR class

Former Washington standout Denzel Boston is off to a hot start in his rookie season in the NFL, and there may be some teams who overlooked him that now regret that decision.

Despite producing at an elite level as a member of the Washington Huskies, Boston wasn’t selected in the first round of April’s 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, he watched six receivers come off the board before he was selected by the Cleveland Browns, who took him 39th overall despite having already selected receiver KC Concepcion with the 24th pick in Round 1.

With Cleveland’s front office placing more value on Concepcion, and with no end in sight to the team’s quarterback concerns, the odds appeared to be stacked against Boston to make an impact this year. But through two weeks of NFL football, no rookie receiver has played better.

Denzel Boston is blowing away the rookie competition through two weeks

How good has Boston been? In the words of The Athletic's Jason Lloyd: "Phenomenal."

“He’s everything that we thought he was going to be,” Lloyd said on a Monday edition of “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.” “He’s big, he’s strong, he’s smooth. Just the way he operates across the field, the way he can break tackles… Great hands, great frame. There’s nothing bad you could say about the guy, and clearly, through two games, Deshaun [Watson] has found his new favorite receiver.”

Two games is a small sample size, but Boston’s already got huge statistical leads on the 18 other rookies who’ve been targeted so far.

Boston’s seven catches have netted 154 receiving yards, by far the most of any first-year wideout. Miami’s Caleb Douglas, who ranks second with 111 receiving yards, is the only other rookie to have even 90. The former Husky also leads all rookies in yards after the catch (51) and is averaging the most yards per reception (22.0) of any rookie with more than one catch.

But that’s not all. Boston has also scored a receiving touchdown in each of his first two games. Only two other rookie receivers (Jacksonville's Josh Cameron and Washington's Antonio Williams) have caught touchdowns this season, and neither has more than one. Even more impressive: Boston's two touchdown catches are the two longest receptions–touchdown or otherwise–by a rookie wideout this season.

His first score came late in a blowout Week 1 loss to Jacksonville, when the 6-foot-4, 215-pound rookie raced past veteran safety Montaric Brown to haul in a 46-yard bomb from Watson.

His second, an earthshaking 55-yard touchdown from the third quarter of Cleveland’s 23-19 Week 2 victory over Tampa Bay, was even more impressive. On first-and-10, Boston ran a short post route across midfield, made a nice catch, broke three tackles in one motion, and sprinted 35 yards to paydirt as fans thundered in celebration.

He may not have as many catches as Concepcion, who leads all rookies with 10, but the presence of another high-volume rookie makes Boston’s production all the more impressive. Boston’s high average depth of target (16.5 yards, fifth-highest among rookies) and class-low rate of snaps from the slot (9.2%) aren’t always a recipe for early success, but the former Husky has had plenty through two weeks.

Is it too early to declare Boston the best rookie receiver, a future Pro Bowler, or the draft’s biggest steal? Of course it is. His positioning on the rookie leaderboards could look entirely different in just another two weeks. However, nothing that happens in the future can take Boston out of the elite company he’s already in.

Since 2003, only four other rookie receivers have tallied 50+ receiving yards and a score in each of their first two games. Three of those receivers–Calvin Johnson, Terry McLaurin, and Ja’Marr Chase–hold a combined 13 Pro Bowl nods and eight All-Pro honors, and the fourth, Jordan Addison, is just 24 years old.

Boston’s a long way from earning any postseason recognition, but his effectiveness as a playmaker is already becoming known in Cleveland and beyond. He left Washington as one of the most dominant passcatchers in school history, and his long, physical style has already made an impact in his new home. 

He's got more receiving yards than Concepcion and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. combined, and he's accounted for more scrimmage yards than Cleveland's entire rushing attack. He's also connecting well with his starting quarterback.

He’ll have to keep making plays, but the future looks bright for Boston once again.

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