Washington Huskies WR Denzel Boston taken by Browns at No. 39 in NFL draft
Two years ago, Denzel Boston watched as the trio of wide receivers he'd patiently waited behind heard their names called in the 2024 NFL draft.
Three Huskies were among the first 15 receivers taken in 2024. Rome Odunze went to the Chicago Bears with the No. 9 pick in the first round. Ja'Lynn Polk joined the New England Patriots in the second round, while Jalen McMillan was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round.
Now, Boston, a South Hill native, will join them.
Boston, a 6-foot-4, 212-pound wide receiver who spent four seasons at UW, was drafted No. 39 overall by the Cleveland Browns during the second round of the 2026 NFL draft on Friday. He's the seventh UW player drafted to the Browns since 1944, and the first since center Nick Harris in 2020.
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He's the second Husky drafted since coach Jedd Fisch's arrival before the 2024 season. Linebacker and Woodinville native Carson Bruener was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A former Emerald Ridge High star, Boston arrived at UW in 2022, signing for incoming coach Kalen DeBoer. He redshirted his true freshman season, then waited his turn behind UW's highflying trio of wide receivers - Odunze, McMillan and Polk - during Washington's 2023 run to the College Football Playoff.
Germie Bernard, also part of UW's 2023 wide receiver group, was drafted by the Steelers on Friday with the No. 47 pick after finishing his college career at Alabama.
DeBoer departed for Alabama after the 2023 season, but Boston chose to stay. Fisch immediately promoted Boston into a featured role in UW's offense. After totaling just seven catches for 66 yards receiving in a limited role during his first two seasons of college football, Boston caught a career-high 63 catches for 834 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. He was a consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention by conference coaches and media.
His breakout 2024 campaign immediately launched him into discussion as one of the conference's premier wideouts for 2025, and Boston delivered on those expectations. He made 62 catches for 881 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. He was a consensus third-team All-Big Ten player. Only an ankle injury suffered late in the season prevented Boston, a captain during his fourth season, from registering UW's 13th 1,000-yard receiving season.
Whatever team selects him, they're getting a beast," UW quarterback Demond Williams Jr. said Thursday.
Boston also returned a punt for a touchdown, earning All-Big Ten honorable-mention status as special teamer, and tallied a touchdown passing. He finished his UW career ranked No. 14 in career receptions (132) while his 11 touchdown receptions rank sixth for a single season at Washington.
"A great motivational guy," Williams said. "He comes to work every day, ready to work. Brings energy every single day. He's just somebody that anybody would want on their team.
But Boston was particularly impactful in the red zone. He's one of just eight players to record 20 touchdowns receiving during their UW career, joining Mario Bailey, Jermaine Kearse, Odunze, Dante Pettis, John Ross, Reggie Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Boston's selection ended a small slide for the former UW standout, who was projected as a late first-round pick by several outlets. He ended up being the seventh wide receiver drafted, behind Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Omar Cooper Jr. and De'Zhaun Stribling.
ESPN's Mike Greenberg mistakenly identified Denzel Boston's father, Chris Boston, as former NFL wide receiver and first-round draft pick David Boston while showing a video clip of the Boston family celebrating. Greenberg corrected himself and apologized in the third round.
In Cleveland, Boston will be part of a major offensive overhaul under new coach Todd Monken. The Browns used their first three picks in the 2026 draft on offensive players, landing Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano with the No. 9 pick and adding wide receiver and return specialist Concepcion out of Texas A&M with the No. 24 pick on Thursday.
Boston joins a wide receiver corps that struggled in 2025. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led the team in yards receiving, and only former first-round pick Jerry Jeudy totaled more than 350 yards receiving among Cleveland's wide receivers.
The lack of wide receiver production, however, was closely related to Cleveland's tenuous situation at quarterback. The Browns rotated through three different signal callers - Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders - in 2025. They also have one season remaining on Deshaun Watson's original five-year, $230-million contract that was fully guaranteed, but has also been restructured.
Sanders led the team in yards passing with 1,400, but also threw 10 interceptions and was sacked 23 times. The Browns are holding an open quarterback competition for the starting job in 2026 after primarily spending free agent money on offensive line help.
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 4:58 PM.