Quarterback is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest need. They’ve had no long-term answer at that position for years. Unfortunately, this doesn’t look like the year for them to find their next franchise signal caller in the draft. Therefore, they might have to go in a different direction in the first round. Wide receiver is another huge weakness on their roster, and analyst Ryan Wilson believes the University of Washington’s Denzel Boston would be a nice selection for the Steelers in the first round.
“You mentioned Denzel Boston,” Wilson said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “I love him in this wide receiver class. He is 6’4. He has punt-return ability. He is long. He is a big catch-radius guy. We know he can make plays down the field, but he also makes plays on the short and intermediate routes. The issue will be the speed.
“How fast is he going to be? I think he plays fast…We’ll find out when he gets to the Combine, but I think the tape tells a different story,” Wilson added. “I think he has an opportunity to be there at the bottom of the first round, and a team like the Steelers, for example, at pick 21, would make a ton of sense.”
Boston played at Washington from 2022-25. However, he didn’t have much production in his first two seasons, only recording seven total catches. That was more about the talent in front of him, though. Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan, who all went on to be taken on Days 1 or 2 of the 2024 draft, were already established at Washington when Boston got there.
However, Boston proved himself once he got more opportunities. He caught 63 passes for 834 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. Then, he recorded 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025.
Boston doesn’t look like a bad option for the Steelers at the moment. While adding another big-bodied receiver might seem redundant when the Steelers already have DK Metcalf, he and Boston have different skill sets.
As Wilson points out, speed is a question about Boston’s game. Meanwhile, that’s one of Metcalf’s greatest strengths. Boston is a more traditional big receiver. He’s a solid contested-catch threat, but he’s not a great separator and he hasn’t shown great ability after the catch.
Boston isn’t on the same level as some of the other top receivers in this draft class. He doesn’t look like he’ll come in and immediately establish himself as a No. 1 wide receiver. However, that’s not necessarily what the Steelers need.
They have their No. 1 in DK Metcalf. Boston could be a nice complement to him, though. Perhaps that would allow him to grow his game at the NFL level, too. While it’s still early in the process, Boston is a player who will likely be on the Steelers’ radar when the draft comes around.
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