Denzel Boston #12 of the Cleveland Browns
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We are just two games into the NFL career of Cleveland Browns rookie Denzel Boston, but it already appears as thought he team has a keeper in the rookie pass-catcher. Boston, a second-round pick in this year’s draft from Washington, has proven to be a steal–many felt he was a first-round talent, but he is not a burner in the 40-yard-dash, so he wound up slipping out of the first 32 picks. The Browns gladly scooped him up, as GM Andrew Berry made clear that the Browns had a first-round grade on Boston.
Through two games (yes, small sample size), Boston has impressed with seven catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns. And those two touchdowns have something in common–they were long. The first went for 46 yards late in the game against Jacksonville. The second was a big catch against the Buccaneers, for 55 yards from Deshaun Watson.
Denzel Boston Meets Sammy White
The catches were so impressive, in fact, that Boston made some NFL history–a remarkable thought considering where Browns receivers have been in recent years. He became the first rookie in 50 yards to have touchdown catches of that length.
From the “Inside the NFL” Twitter/X account: “(Denzel Boston) First WR in 50 years to open his career with two 45 yard TDs.”
Not a bad start for Boston. The last receiver to do so was Sammy White of the Vikings, who was the Rookie of the Year that season, and wound up being a 10-year player in Minnesota, with two Pro Bowl appearances.
Browns Seeing WR-QB Relationship Grow
Again, that’s just not the kind of receiver typically associated with the Browns recently. But as offensive coordinator Travis Switzer pointed out, Boston’s blend of size and offensive know-how has made him an instant-impact player, and his relationship with Watson is just starting to grow.
Said Swtizer: “It’s huge. They were game-changing plays, obviously, certainly last week with the long play, and then in addition to a couple other just outside-lane conversions that we were able to do with him. But yeah, the more time that he and Deshaun get together, the more comfortable they’re going to get.
“And they’re talking all the time, too. They talk about things, they communicate. Both guys are wired the right way. So, I just think the more time that they’re together, the more that’s going to continue to grow.”
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Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including "Fun City," "Before Wrigley became Wrigley," and "Facing Michael Jordan." More about Sean Deveney
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