BEREA, Ohio -- It didn't take long for Denzel Boston to deliver a highlight play that exemplified why the Cleveland Browns coveted him with a high pick in the 2026 NFL draft -- even after using a first-round pick on fellow wide receiver KC Concepcion.

Cleveland was in the middle of 7-on-7 drills during its second OTA practice last Wednesday, and Boston was aligned as an outside receiver with cornerback Tyson Campbell in press technique. As quarterback Deshaun Watson took a shotgun snap and dropped back, Boston took an outside release before smoothly dropping his hips to decelerate and then reaccelerating to separate from Campbell, who bit on the double move.

Watson dropped a pinpoint pass about 30 yards downfield to Boston, who made the catch in the end zone even after being tripped up by Campbell and safety Ronnie Hickman.

"That was awesome, wasn't it? Wasn't that cool?" Browns coach Todd Monken said after practice. "I mean, I know I'm an offensive head coach, but hell, you know, you get a draft pick and it's on one of the most talented guys in the league. So, it's encouraging, right? That's what you want to see. You want to see your guys, especially some of your younger draft picks, make some of those plays."

The Browns selected Boston at No. 39 overall last month, and though Cleveland used the 24th overall pick on Concepcion, the team was more than happy to use another top-50 pick on a wide receiver who was projected to go in the first round -- and one it believes brings a new dimension with his size.

While Concepcion is 5-foot-11, Boston is listed as 6-4 and 215 pounds, making him an ideal "X" receiver on the boundary in a receivers room that only has one other wideout who is taller than 6-1: fourth-year player Cedric Tillman.

During the past two seasons at the University of Washington, 16 of Boston's 20 receiving touchdowns came from a wide alignment, which ranked as the third most in FBS. Boston also excelled in contested-catch situations; he has 26 such catches since 2024, tied for the 10th most in FBS. And he was a sought-after option in the red zone, where he had 20 end zone targets last season, the second most in FBS.

"He's a different body type than what we have," Monken said. "We were looking at someone we thought could be a size matchup and especially in the red zone, which we did not have. So loved his competitive spirit. Just talking about Denzel now. Spoke with Jedd Fisch, his head coach at Washington, who I've got a ton of respect for, been in the NFL and raved about Denzel, loves to practice, competitive, a lot of fight in him.

"He's come a long way as a player and is only going to continue to get better. And we certainly needed to just continue to upgrade that position, and we did."

While Boston's size has been spotlighted, Monken also sees a fluid route runner through rookie minicamp and the early portion of OTAs.

	Cleveland needed to upgrade a position group that ranked last in the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns last season, and the Browns came away with one of the draft's best receivers in Denzel Boston.

"You can see his catch radius. That's what you can see," Monken said. "He does have quick feet. Getting off the line of scrimmage, you can see that. Again, does a really good job getting in and out of breaks for someone with his length."

Though Boston projects as an outside receiver in the NFL, 30% of his college snaps came inside the slot, which could foreshadow a versatile role in Cleveland.

"I'm a smart player, so I can play through a bracket, and I can also play on the outside through press coverage," Boston said. "It all comes down to understanding defenses and coverages and knowing where you can get open and where you can't get open."

During practices, Monken has broken the team into two to conduct walk-throughs and maximize reps for every player. During these periods, rookies and other young players have frequently been grouped as they catch up to the vets in learning the playbook.

It's all part of an acclimation period to ease in the new players. Plays like the one Boston made last week will help to speed up the process.

"He's big, he has great hands, very subtle, sneaky speed, and just really, really complements things that we have in that room right now," Browns assistant general manager Glenn Cook said. "... We're excited that we didn't necessarily have to give up any resources to get a player of his caliber."