Denzel Boston's Pre-Draft Build-Up Is Hardly Lacking

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 3:01 PM ET

Denzel Boston is at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week to show any doubters, and when looking at the mock drafts apparently there still are a few, that he's one of the top receivers available.

Coming in, the former University of Washington pass-catcher is off to a good start.

Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., the outside expert who counts the most, has Boston positioned as a first-rounder.

Pro Football Focus describes the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder from South Hill, Washington, as having some of the best hands in the draft.

And the Big Ten Huddle considers Boston -- coming off a 62-catch, 881-yard, 11-touchdown season in 2025 -- to be one of 10 conference players to watch for in this lead-up to April's talent dispersal.

Denzel Boston has some of the best hands in the entire 2026 NFL Draft

Strengths and weaknesses for WR4 on the PFF Big Board pic.twitter.com/PmzWrhF8aU
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 26, 2026

As for Kiper's stance, he sees Boston going in the first round to the Buffalo Bills with the 26th overall pick.

His breakdown on the Husky standout's pass-recieiving abilities goes as follows:

"Boston's hands, catch radius and vision would quickly make him a go-to option for quarterback Josh Allen. He finished with 881 yards and 11 scores last season, bullying opposing cornerbacks along the way. Buffalo's receiver room has a lot of questions and lacks a true WR1, all due respect to Khalil Shakir.

"After being called out by ownership last month, Keon Coleman's future with the team is murky. Brandin Cooks and Gabe Davis are free agents. Joshua Palmer was injured and limited to 22 catches on the season. And Tyrell Shavers tore an ACL in the playoffs. So, this one seems obvious."

10 Former Big Ten Football Players to Watch at the NFL Combine pic.twitter.com/b8TgDzyAtH
— The Big Ten Huddle ️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) February 26, 2026

The thing about Boston, this past season when he came off an injury and even before that while playing with Rome Odunze and other NFL-bound receivers, is he's just different and it readily shows.

He's bigger than everyone else, more of a target, when he goes up for the ball. He's also deceptively fast, remembering him two springs ago going 80 yards with a Michael Penix Jr. pass, catching it on the dead run.

The only glaring question is he physical enough. While he has the height, he'll head to the NFL a little on the slender side, maybe needing to bulk up more along the lines of a DK Metcalf. Or not.

If anything, he can just continue to wow people for his ability to go up in a crowd and successfully fight people for the ball, a trait most welcome in the NFL when dealing with take-no-prisoners cornerbacks.

This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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