Denzel Boston (WR – Wash) 6’4” | 209 lbs. 2026 NFL Draft Eligible
Denzel Boston has risen in Devy value exponentially following a breakout 2024 season for the Washington Huskies. In a 2026 NFL Draft class lacking top-end wide receiver talent, could Boston emerge as a top prospect? Let’s dive into his prospect profile and see how he projects for Dynasty purposes.
High School
Boston attended Emerald Ridge in South Hill, Washington, graduating in 2022. He posted some modest numbers during his high school career, finishing with 1,572 yards and 23 touchdowns across four years. His best year came as a junior during the COVID season, playing an abbreviated season. In just five games, Boston amassed 34 receptions, 553 yards, and seven touchdowns. He was valued as a low 4-star prospect (80 overall) on ESPN coming out of high school, receiving offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, and Nevada.
Washington (2022-Present)
Boston saw limited action in 2022, playing in four contests and ultimately redshirting that season. In 2023, Boston appeared in 14 of 15 games but was buried on the depth chart, playing alongside Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Germie Bernard. This was one of the best wide receiver groups in the nation, so Boston being a non-factor in Year 2 should come as no surprise.
Fast forward to 2024: Odunze, McMillan, and Polk have hit the NFL ranks, and Bernard has transferred to Alabama. Boston finally got his time to shine and performed well with the added responsibility. Boston finished second on the team in receptions and yards (behind six-year senior Giles Jackson) and led the team in receiving touchdowns. On the season, he posted 98 targets, 63 receptions, 834 yards, and nine touchdowns in 13 games.
Analytics
Now, let’s look at how efficient Denzel Boston was as a receiver in 2024. I’m just looking at this previous season, as he was used sparingly in his first two seasons at Washington.
Out of 260 FBS receivers with 50+ targets in 2024, here’s where Boston ranked:
- 131st in yards per reception (13.2)
- 56th in PFF Receiving Grade (77.5)
- 130th in YAC/reception (5.3)
- 148th in YPRR (1.86)
- 75th in drop rate (4.5%)
- 96th in contested-catch percentage (54.5%)
As you can see above, Boston didn’t stand out in any particular efficiency metric from a receiving standpoint. He posted a 21.8% target rate, which is fine but far from elite. His contested target rate was 22.4%, certainly higher than we’d like to see.
Film
What stands out most with Boston’s game on film is his physical play style. He’s not the twitchiest athlete or the greatest separator, but he knows how to win at the catch point and can box out smaller defenders. Boston has strong, reliable hands and has shown the ability to catch away from his body. He doesn’t have a ton of burst off the line, but once he gets up to speed, he can blow by you. I didn’t see the most elaborate route tree from Boston on film; it seems to be a lot of go routes, posts, and fades. He’s not the crispest route runner and often relies more on his physical tools to win at the catch point, versus creating separation at the stem or the break.
Devy Value
Denzel Boston is my Devy WR21 and my 51st overall Devy prospect in Superflex. I’m not going to hold his first two seasons against him, given the stiff competition he was up against, but I need to see Boston pop from an analytical standpoint in Year 4 to get excited about him. I’m talking a 25%+ target share and 2.5+ yards per route run. Boston needs to establish himself as the clear alpha on this Huskies roster in 2025, and I’d like to see him refine his skills as a route runner and create some mismatches on offense. In terms of 2026 draft-eligible WRs, Boston is sitting at WR10 for me. For now, I see him as a Round 3 Dynasty Rookie draft pick, but he can jump into Round 2 with a big 2025 season. Nothing stands out to me with Boston’s profile that screams “fantasy stud”, so I won’t be buying until I see more reason to be bullish.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
