It would have been difficult for Denzel Boston to live up to all of the glowing reports about him from the Cleveland Browns’ earliest minicamps. But the second-round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft has just kept impressing people halfway through his first season.
The wide receiver has emerged as one of the best rookies in the league regardless of position. He has helped the Browns become a playoff contender much sooner than anyone expected.
Boston’s breakout season has him closing in on rookie honors, with ESPN ranking him second in the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
“Boston leads all rookies with 507 receiving yards, owing in part to the fact that he has run 301 routes, the seventh most of any player in the NFL. Boston has been the big-play provider for the Browns, with his three catches of 50 or more yards tied with Christian Watson of the Packers for the most in the league. His 55-yard touchdown against the Bucs was the best of the bunch,” Bill Barnwell wrote.
Boston was the leader in this ESPN ranking five weeks ago, when he was leading the league in yards per reception, but he is now behind Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Kahlil Benson, who is an undrafted free agent at a position that never wins the honor. That means Boston still has a very good chance to win the actual award, which is voted on by 50 media members.
More notably, Boston is ranked ahead of Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the draft and was considered to be a Cleveland target in the months leading up to it. Boston lasted until the No. 39 overall pick, which has made him arguably its biggest steal.
A series of leg injuries may have caused a drop in Boston’s production and in these rankings. But he has responded with 12 receptions on 19 targets in the past two games, including a 60-yard catch against the New Orleans Saints in the Browns’ 23-22 overtime loss this past Sunday.
For the season, Boston has 32 receptions for 507 yards and three touchdowns. Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion, who was the No. 24 overall pick in the draft, is second among rookies with 437 receiving yards, and the duo could become the first teammates to be the top two in that category in more than 80 years.
Boston still has half a season to go, so it will be worth watching what he will be able to accomplish over the coming weeks.
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