Former Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston entered the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine with a first-round grade on almost every draft analyst’s early board. However, Boston skipped much of the combine’s on-field testing, and looked shaky in some of the drills he did participate in.
Boston’s combine performance wasn’t a disaster by any means, but it could have jeopardized his status as an expected first-round pick in April’s NFL Draft. To see what effect the combine had on Boston’s draft stock, I’ve compiled the results of post-combine mock drafts made by the sport’s top analysts. Here’s where their current predictions have Boston going:
Charles Davis, Ryan Wilson: No. 21, Pittsburgh Steelers
Husky fans, rejoice. Neither NFL Network’s Charles Davis nor CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson was put off by Boston’s combine. In fact, both promoted Boston at least five spots in their post-combine mocks. Davis previously had Boston going to Buffalo at No. 26, and Wilson had him going to San Francisco at No. 27, but both have since projected him to land in Pittsburgh at No. 21.
“I love Boston’s ball skills, versatility and toughness,” Davis wrote. “He will be embraced in the Steel City.”
If Boston does go to Pittsburgh, he’ll likely be splitting halves of the field with wideout DK Metcalf. Boston and Metcalf could become an extremely difficult pairing for defenders–especially undersized ones–to contain, and the Steelers would have the option to keep them both under contract through 2029.
“Boston is a long-striding, contested-catch machine who has also flashed punt-return ability, and he would be a natural No. 2 on a Steelers team that desperately needs receiving options,” Wilson wrote.
Lance Zierlein: No. 26, Buffalo Bills
Pittsburgh has been a popular landing spot for Boston in early mock drafts, but perhaps not quite as popular as Buffalo. Many analysts, most recently NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, see Buffalo as the ideal draft destination for Boston.
The Bills need a long-term WR1 to pair with superstar quarterback Josh Allen, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to be Keon Coleman. As a true outside receiver, Boston could take defensive attention away from slot threat Khalil Shakir, who’s been productive but isn’t a true X receiver.
“The Washington product is not fast or shifty, but he has elite ball skills, providing Josh Allen with a big target he can depend on,” Zierlein wrote.
Trevor Sikkema: No. 27, San Francisco 49ers
On Monday, Trevor Sikkema, Dalton Wasserman, and Max Chadwick live-streamed a mock draft on the Pro Football Focus YouTube channel. The three took turns making selections, and found themselves debating between Boston and Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion when trying to find San Francisco a wide receiver.
“I think the size and fluidity that Denzel Boston has is more rare,” Sikkema said before selecting the Huskies wideout. Both co-hosts agreed with the choice.
Wasserman particularly liked Boston’s fit with the 49ers, who are set to lose wide receiver Jauan Jennings (and three other wideouts) to free agency at 1:00 p.m. on March 11.
“Boston is one of the best players–if not the best player–in this class against man-to-man coverage, and that’s really the Jauan Jennings role,” Wasserman said.
Getting a direct replacement for Jennings would be nice, but I think Boston could even be an upgrade for San Francisco. The 49ers haven’t seen a receiver tally 10 regular-season receiving touchdowns since Terrell Owens in 2002, but Boston has the potential to change that. He recorded 20 touchdowns across two seasons as a starter for the Huskies, and he could thrive under an offensive mastermind like head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Daniel Flick: No. 30, Denver Broncos
Wide receiver isn’t the biggest need for the Broncos, or even one of their three biggest. However, running backs, linebackers, and tight ends aren’t often drafted in the first round, so it’s possible Denver could select Boston on account of his positional value.
Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick, who acknowledged Boston’s underwhelming combine but downplayed its consequences, projected the pairing on Tuesday.
“The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Boston is a physical, big-bodied wideout with strong hands and high-level ball skills,” Flick wrote. “He isn’t an elite separator, nor an explosive mover, but he makes plays when the ball is in the air—and Broncos quarterback Bo Nix needs more weapons.”
Denver saw significant improvement from sophomore wideout Troy Franklin in 2025. However, leading receiver Courtland Sutton turns 31 next season, and he could probably benefit from a little less weight on his shoulders. Drafting Boston and moving Franklin to a full-time slot role would give Nix a fantastic trio of receivers to target.
Trevor Sikkema: No. 32, Seattle Seahawks
Sikkema again? Yes! He published his own post-combine mock draft for PFF just before the aforementioned live stream, and this one had Boston staying close to home as a Seattle Seahawk.
“It was unfortunate that Boston didn’t participate in the athletic testing at the combine, because I think he has some surprising movement skills for his size,” Sikkema wrote. “However, he is still a very smooth yet strong receiver in this class and could be an ideal long-term pairing with Jaxon Smith-Njigba.”
This would be absolutely beautiful. It would be the kind of draft day tear-jerker you’d see in montages for years to come. Boston grew up 40 miles from Lumen Field in South Hill, Wash., and he’s only gotten closer to the Seattle community throughout his time as a Washington Husky.
Emotions aside, Sikkema is appropriately intrigued by a potential partnership between Boston and Smith-Njigba. The NFL’s 2025 Offensive Player of the Year is clearly a dominant force, but he can be situationally limited by his average build and relatively short arms. Adding Boston would give Seattle an elite jump-ball option who could also take attention away from Smith-Njigba on an every-down basis.
Jordan Reid: No. 35, Tennessee Titans
Of all the major sports outlets’ analysts to release mock drafts immediately after the combine, only ESPN’s Jordan Reid projected Boston to be drafted outside the first round. Denzel Boston was Reid’s No. 5 receiver less than a month ago, but recently fell to No. 6 (and outside the first round as a result) when Reid projected Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. (previously Reid’s No. 7 WR) to be taken at No. 24 overall.
Reid now has Boston landing with the Tennessee Titans at No. 35. In Tennessee, Boston would likely jump straight into a WR1 role, though it’s possible he and second-year pro Elic Ayomanor start with a more even share of targets.
“Getting second-year quarterback Cam Ward more offensive playmakers needs to be at the top of the Titans' to-do list,” Reid wrote. “Boston is a strong-handed perimeter target who can provide Ward another vertical option on the outside.”