The Cleveland Browns' need at the wide receiver position cannot be overstated. If the team features the same trio of wideouts in 2026 who were the headliners of last year's abysmal aerial attack, something has gone very, very wrong.
Alas, fans can exhale. By all appearances, GM Andrew Berry is keenly aware of the dearth of talent at the position, and pre-draft reports thus far indicate he is casting a wide net in an effort to find some difference-makers.
The Browns have already been linked to the draft's top three WR prospects (Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon), but a new report has unearthed another player of intrigue for Andrew Berry and company. The receiver in question is none other than the University of Washington's Denzel Boston, who met with the Browns on Friday, per ESPN's Field Yates.
Washington WR Denzel Boston will take one of his 12 scheduled pre-draft 30 visits with the Browns today. The #27 player on my top 50 big board.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 20, 2026
The Browns own picks 6 and 24 and their top two needs entering the draft are WR and LT.
Boston boasts elite size, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 212 pounds, and has superb collegiate production to boot. After biding his time for his first two seasons, Boston burst onto the scene in 2024 with 63 receptions, 834 yards (13.2 average), and nine touchdowns. Not to be outdone, he proved it wasn't an aberration in 2025 by putting up 62 receptions, 881 yards (14.2 average), and 11 TDs.
As far as the advanced analytics go, he didn't disappoint. Pro Football Focus ranks Boston as the No. 5 wide receiver in the class (No. 31 overall). For his efforts last season, he earned an elite 88.0 grade, which placed 12th out of 1,075 qualifiers at the position.
In describing Boston, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein invoked the pro comparison to the Los Angeles Rams' Puka Nacua, another one-time Washington Husky. Nacua, one of the NFL's most elite and exciting talents, tore up the league in 2025 to the tune of 129 receptions, 1,715 yards, and 10 TDs.
"A Puka Nacua comparison might feel strong," Zierlein wrote, "but like Nacua, Boston enters the draft with speed/separation concerns and outstanding competitive toughness. Boston gets off the line with good burst and maintains his top speed throughout the route. He could have issues beating press, but releases can also be schemed. He’s very skilled when it comes to winning jump balls and contested throws. Boston also knows how to win in the red zone. Acclimating to NFL competition could take a year, but Boston has the makeup to become a productive possession target with above-average red-zone value."
NFL.com analyst compares Browns-linked WR Denzel Boston to Puka Nacua
What's more, Zierlein quotes an anonymous NFC scouting director who dismissed speed concerns with a golden quote: "I don’t think speed concerns are valid. Anyway, you don’t have to be fast when you are as good as he is when guarded."
The draft is ultimately a crapshoot with no such thing as a guarantee. As much as scouts preach about "can't-miss" prospects, a review of any draft class ever will reveal more than a few misses. That obviously doesn't dissuade NFL decision-makers from rolling the dice, and Denzel Boston appears to be more than worthy of a dice roll.
The sneaky upside with Boston is that he can likely be had in the late-first or early-second round. While the Browns have excellent draft capital at their disposal, this draft is considered shallow on blue-chip talent, wide receivers notwithstanding. Snagging a player like Boston at pick No. 24 or No. 39 frees them up to draft the best player available at No. 6, a prudent strategy for a team in Cleveland's predicament.