The Pittsburgh Steelers met with basically every top wide receiver prospect at the NFL Combine. That makes it seem like they could target that position with their first-round pick. While some of the best receivers might be off the board by the time the Steelers pick at No. 21, Washington’s Denzel Boston looks like a realistic option. Some analysts don’t love his potential fit in Pittsburgh, thinking that he’s too similar DK Metcalf, but former NFL general manager Ran Carthon refuted that narrative.
“Their styles are different,” Carthon said recently on his With the First Pick podcast. “They are similarly sized, but I think their brand of football is different. I think Denzel Boston has a little bit more route-running traits to him than DK does. DK, we know, is a vertical, catch-the-ball-on-the-move kind of guy. I think it’ll be a good fit.”
Boston, like Metcalf, is a big receiver, standing at around 6-3 and weighing over 200 pounds. On the surface, it’s easy to understand why some people might think that drafting Boston would be redundant for the Steelers, who already have Metcalf.
However, Carthon is correct that the two of them play differently. Metcalf is a unicorn, even among big-bodied receivers. There are few receivers who have his combination of size and athleticism. While Metcalf isn’t the most nuanced route runner, he’s good at blowing past defenses, and he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands.
Meanwhile, Boston is cut from the same cloth as many other big receivers. He’s best utilized in contested-catch situations, and he isn’t much of a threat after the catch. Additionally, as Carthon mentions, Boston is a solid route runner for a player of his size.
The Steelers often tried to get the ball in Metcalf’s hands quickly last season, wanting to give him a chance to make plays. However, he was also their best vertical threat. Therefore, it was easy for defenses to key on him, limiting how much damage Metcalf could do.
If the Steelers draft Boston, that will give them another downfield threat. That should free Metcalf up, and perhaps the Steelers will be more creative in how they use him. Boston and Metcalf wouldn’t be stepping on each other’s toes, though.
Boston said that he had a good meeting with the Steelers at the Combine, and he expressed a desire to talk to them again. Also, he talked about how much he’d like to play with Metcalf. He could get his wish, too. The draft is still almost two months away, but Washington is on the Steelers’ radar.
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