Denzel Boston was the talk of the town through rookie minicamp and most of training camp. Ultimately, he seemingly took a back seat to KC Concepcion, but the second-round pick was the most consistent, physical, and NFL-ready rookie in Berea.
Boston's big frame and reliable hands prompted speculation about whether he'd be the team's primary pass catcher. And while he only hauled in two receptions in the season opener, his usage might point in that direction.
Head coach Todd Monken grabbed a page from his old Tampa Bay Buccaneers playbook and had Boston play the Mike Evans role in the first two games of the season, using him inside the numbers on his two big catches for touchdowns. He also led the team with 21 routes run in Week 1, and knowing how Monken used Evans in Tampa Bay should let fans know what to expect from their rookie pass catcher.
Todd Monken's history shows why Denzel Boston's early usage is so intriguing
Long before he became the Browns' head coach, Monken actually helped shape Evans into the future Hall of Famer he's currently on pace to become. Monken made Evans the focal point of the passing game in 2016, their first year together, resulting in a league-leading 173 targets and 12 touchdowns.
Their connection peaked in their final season together, which was also the first time Monken took over full-time play-calling duties in Tampa Bay. The Bucs had the No. 1 passing offense, with Evans hauling in a career-best 1,521 receiving yards at a whopping 17.7 yards per reception.
All in all, Evans drew 447 targets, grabbed 234 receptions, and logged 3,846 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. That's 81.8 receiving yards per game and roughly five catches per game.
Evans and Boston are eerily similar. They're both prototypical X receivers who know how to leverage their huge frames to dominate in contested-catch situations. Opposing defensive backs will have to endure a beating when they try to go against them, and while they're not necessarily speedsters, their ability to create separation makes them perennial big-play threats.
Of course, the quarterback situation also matters, and the Browns don't have a gunslinger like Winston or Fitzpatrick. But even with a quarterback who's either unwilling or unable to hit the deep ball, Boston has already left his mark on the Browns' underwhelming passing attack.
Concepcion might be the flashier and twitchier option. He might even be a bit more versatile. That said, Boston is the perfect complement, a bulldozer of a human being dominating in traffic and with deep post and corner routes.
The Browns found their own versions of Zay Flowers and Mike Evans in the same draft class, and while it's hard to find a silver lining with Deshaun Watson under center, these young players will be here for the long haul. They look like superstars in the making.
It might not sound like much, but Boston has at least 50 receiving yards and one touchdown in his first two career games, and with one win in the bag, he's the type of playmaker this team desperately needed last season.
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