Denzel Boston Washington Huskies
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The New England Patriots are being projected to select Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston in the NFL Draft, giving Drake Maye a new weapon.
There are a few clear needs for the New England Patriots to address in the upcoming NFL Draft. Among those is wide receiver, and finding new weapons for Drake Maye to throw the ball to as he continues to develop in his third season.
Mock drafts are coming in left and right this time of year. One of those, which comes from Garrett Podell of CBS Sports, has the Patriots adding Denzel Boston, a star receiver who played for the Washington Huskies, in the first round.
“Denzel Boston is a tank who can line up in the slot and outside and blow through press coverage, and 2025 NFL MVP runner up Drake Maye will certainly enjoy having him to throw to in addition to free agency acquisition Romeo Doubs,” Podell wrote.
In general, mock drafts are divided on what the Patriots should do with the No. 31 overall pick. Offensive line and edge rusher are both also clear needs that could be the focus of the first round. However, if the board doesn’t break New England’s way, then wide receiver is also a position of need, particularly with A.J. Brown still a rumor and a need to replace the production that Stefon Diggs had a season ago.
Everything to Know About Denzel Boston
Denzel Boston Washington Huskies
GettyWashington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston
An Idaho native, Denzel Boston was a little overlooked coming out of high school. On3 listed him as a three-star recruit and the 134th-ranked wide receiver in the Class of 2022. He would decide to go to Washington over options that included Arizona and Washington State, turning himself into a potential first-round pick in the process.
When Boston first got to Washington, he found himself playing behind several future NFL receivers. Among them were Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk. Polk, of course, would become a second-round pick for the Patriots before they traded him and a seventh-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for a sixth-round pick.
It wouldn’t be until his redshirt sophomore season in 2024 that Boston saw significant playing time for the Huskies. When he got that chance, he thrived, going for better than 60 receptions and 800 yards in back-to-back seasons.
In the end, Boston played in 43 college games, racking up 132 receptions for 1,781 yards in his career with 20 touchdowns. That’s 13.5 yards per reception. He also returned punts, averaging 8.5 yards with a touchdown return.
Mike Vrabel Was Vague When Asked About the Patriots’ First-Round Pick
Mike Vrabel New England Patriots
GettyNew England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
There are still plenty of questions for the New England Patriots to answer ahead of the NFL Draft. That includes if they’re going to stay and pick at No. 31 or make a trade of some kind.
If there was any hope that Mike Vrabel might have some insight as the head coach, he wasn’t willing to share it. Instead, Vrabel made it clear that all options are on the table with that pick.
“Maybe we trade up. Maybe we trade out. I don’t know,” Vrabel recently said. “But I love being able to work with Eliot and Ryan and their staff, and coaches, and try to bring that together.”
The NFL Draft is now less than two weeks away. The first round is scheduled to take place on April 23rd, with the second and third rounds coming on April 24th and the remainder of the draft wrapping up on April 25th.