The Browns are double dipping at their greatest position of need.
After using their second first-rounder on Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion, the Browns returned to the well, selecting Washington receiver Denzel Boston with the No. 39 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday in Pittsburgh.
"We think a lot about Denzel's talent and his ability," Browns assistant general manger Glenn Cook said Friday, via . "I think a lot of teams probably had him with the first-round grade or really high up. So, you know, we're just excited that we had the chance to still get him where we were sitting at."
A two-year starter at Washington, Boston is a big-bodied contested-catch specialist made in the mold of receivers such as Mike Evans and Nico Collins.
He sat two seasons behind future NFL pass catchers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk, but blossomed once he finally hit the field as a starter in 2024, collecting 63 receptions for 834 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the Huskies in receiving across the board as a redshirt junior with 11 touchdowns and 881 yards on 62 receptions.
At 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Boston has proven to be a red-zone mismatch waiting to happen and flashed premier ball skills during his time at Washington, as evidenced by his 3.1% drop rate in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
The knock against Boston is his lack of a second gear and ability to separate, both later in routes and in breaking free against press coverage. He opted against running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day, thus forgoing the opportunity to dismiss such concerns, but no testing could speak louder than his on-field productivity the past two seasons, anyway.
Cleveland's logic is easy to understand with the selection. While Concepcion provides the Browns with an explosive slot receiver capable of making a difference in the run-after-catch department, Boston is built to line up on the outside, box out defenders and serve as a reliable, big target for whomever is playing quarterback.
"We're going to bring a good mix of explosiveness and having explosive plays after explosive plays," Boston said regarding the new duo he's a part of. "Both of us have generated tons of touchdowns throughout our college careers. So, I think those are the two things for sure you can look forward to."
In two of his first three picks, Browns general manager Andrew Berry threw his available capital at a group that was among the worst in the league. If all goes well, the Browns will look much better when they take the field in the fall.
