Denzel Boston hasn't played a regular-season snap, but the Browns rookie just got the loudest vote of confidence a training camp can hand out. Cleveland took the Washington product with the 39th overall pick this spring after he slid out of round 1, and now he's working with the starting offense.
That's not a throwaway rep swap. Boston went from WR3 conversations to first-team reps, and it lines up with what beat reporters have been saying about him basically since OTAs. He was a two-year starter at Washington who caught 62 balls for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, with a scouting profile built around contested catches and red-zone work — the Mike Evans/Nico Collins mold, minus elite top-end speed, which is why he fell to day 2 in the first place.
The chatter has been building all camp. Reporters covering Cleveland have described Boston as one of the hardest guys on the roster for defensive backs to cover early on, winning 50/50 balls and stacking good practices, which is exactly the kind of drumbeat that eventually forces a coaching staff's hand on the depth chart.
Analyst Benjamin Solak breaks down what's stood out about Boston through Browns camp.
It also fits the bigger picture in Cleveland. The Browns went into the offseason with what was widely considered one of the league's worst receiving rooms, which is why they doubled up at the position in the draft, taking KC Concepcion in round 1 before circling back for Boston in round 2. A rookie already pushing into the first-team rotation this early in camp is a good sign that swing paid off.
None of this locks Boston into a Week 1 starting job — camp reps are camp reps, and the real test comes once preseason games and roster cuts sort out who's actually earning targets in a live offense. But for a receiver who was motivated by falling out of round 1, working with the 1s in August is exactly the kind of signal that gets fantasy managers and Browns fans paying closer attention heading into the season.