After posting strong numbers in each of his first two career NFL games, former Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston has shown flashes of being the new star for the Cleveland Browns. Although it's still early in the season, the rookie ranks among the league's biggest names in total receiving yards despite seeing fewer targets than other top pass catchers.
Entering Week Three, the deep-ball threat is tied with Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins for the 16th-most receiving yards with 154. Among the top 20 receiving leaders, Boston has the second-fewest receptions with seven, trailing only Baltimore Ravens wideout Zay Flowers, making the most of his opportunities
In his most recent showing, the second-round pick hauled in 5 catches for
95 yards and a touchdown to help propel Cleveland to a 23-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second-round pick currently leads his team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns through the first pair of games, seemingly living up to the hype that he received coming out of college.
Denzel Boston is the fifth @NFL receiver since 2003 w/ 50+ receiving yards & a receiving TD in EACH of their first two career games:
— Luke Potosky (@LukePotosky) September 20, 2026
• DENZEL BOSTON (2026)
• Jordan Addison (2023)
• Ja’Marr Chase (2021)
• Terry McLaurin (2019)
• Calvin Johnson (2007) pic.twitter.com/dExeEimvt6
Despite being the seventh receiver selected in the 2026 NFL draft, Boston leads his class in most categories by a healthy margin. Out of the six prospects drafted ahead of him, the closest in total receiving yards is his teammate, KC Concepcion, who was taken with the No. 24 overall pick out of Texas A&M and has 10 catches for 71 yards on the season.
With quarterback Deshaun Watson and the offense seemingly starting to find a rhythm under first-year head coach Todd Monken, Boston's targets should only continue to increase given the explosive-play ability of the big-bodied wideout. While there are other key pieces of the system like running back Quinshon Judkins and fellow pass catchers in Concepcion and tight end Harold Fannin Jr., it's clear that Boston is the lead candidate for downfield playmaking, with both of his touchdowns coming on plays of 40+ yards.
While his wide catch radius and elite contested-catch ability may be new to the Browns, those who followed the decorated wideout throughout his four years on Montlake aren't surprised to see him making the same big-time plays he displayed during his college tenure, and neither is Boston.
“Did I expect it? No. Is it a surprise to me? Also, no,” Boston said of his hot start on Wednesday. "I think that’s just a testament of how I work, and I’m a very hard worker each and every day. I always want to be the hardest-working person on the field."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Former Washington Football Star Among NFL's Receiving Yards Leaders
