Denzel Boston Just Did Something Only Two Browns Rookies Had Done Before

Denzel Boston was officially nominated for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week after his Week 2 performance. The Cleveland Browns' second-round pick finished Sunday's 23-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium with five receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown, averaging 19 yards per catch. He is one of four nominees. The touchdown that earned him the nomination was the kind of play that gets a rookie receiver onto fantasy waiver priority lists overnight. A pass from Deshaun Watson up the middle found Boston, who was covered and surrounded by Buccaneers.

Boston came down with the ball, turned and powered through the defence, broke three tackles and continued downfield for a 55-yard touchdown that tied it up at 16-16.

Watson did not understate what he has in the 22-year-old. "Boston is a heck of a player, a young guy that keeps improving each week," Watson said following the game. 

Denzel Boston's Historic Start to His Browns Career

With his second consecutive game with a touchdown, Boston joins the short list of Browns rookies to have recorded a touchdown in each of their first two games, now alongside André Davis in 2002 and Bobby Mitchell in 1958.

Boston described exactly how the big play developed. "We have an alert on that play when Deshaun sees a certain coverage," Boston said. "He's going to alert me to a different route. He alerted me to a different route. Once he alerted, I knew the ball was going to come to me. I knew, shoot, once you catch the ball, go make a play. Make a splash. Do something. After I spun out, I see green grass. I'm to the house."

Who Is Denzel Boston and What He Brings to Cleveland

Boston was born on December 6, 2003, in Boise, Idaho, attended Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Washington, and played college football at Washington from 2022 to 2025. The Browns selected him 39th overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft after a 62-catch, 881-yard, 11-touchdown college season. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he profiles as a receiver who wins in contested situations and creates yards after the catch, a combination Cleveland's passing offence has needed for years.

Through two games, Watson has thrown for 443 yards and three touchdowns, with Boston and fellow rookie KC Concepcion emerging as the Browns' primary receiving threats. The Rookie of the Week voting is open to fans. Whether Boston wins the award or not, the highlight reel is already building.