Denzel Boston didn’t stay the headline for long once KC Concepcion started turning heads in Berea, but the Browns’ second-round pick has already shown why he was such a popular name from rookie minicamp through most of training camp. He may not have been the flashiest rookie in the room, but he looked like the most dependable one - the kind of big-bodied, NFL-ready receiver who can earn a real role quickly.
That role is already starting to take shape.
In the first two games, head coach Todd Monken has used Boston in a way that should look familiar to anyone who remembers his Tampa Bay days. Monken has put Boston in the Mike Evans lane, working him inside the numbers and leaning on him as a primary target on two touchdown grabs. Boston also led the Browns with 21 routes run in Week 1, another sign that this isn’t just a random early-season spike.
Monken’s history with Evans makes that usage worth watching. Before taking over in Cleveland, he helped turn Evans into the kind of receiver who can tilt an offense. In 2016, their first year together, Evans became the centerpiece of the passing game and finished with a league-high 173 targets and 12 touchdowns.
The production only climbed from there. In Monken’s final season with Evans in Tampa Bay - the same year he handled full-time play-calling for the first time there - the Buccaneers had the No. 1 passing offense. Evans responded with a career-best 1,521 receiving yards and a massive 17.7 yards per catch.
Across that stretch with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing the ball, Evans piled up 447 targets, 234 receptions, 3,846 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. That works out to 81.8 receiving yards per game and about five catches per game.
The comparison isn’t hard to see. Boston and Evans are both classic X receivers, built to win with size, body control and toughness at the catch point. They’re not burners in the purest sense, but they can still separate enough to turn contested throws into chunk gains.
Quarterback play still matters, and the Browns don’t have a passer like Winston or Fitzpatrick. Even so, Boston has already made his presence felt in a passing game that has not been especially sharp.
He may not be the flashiest option in the room - Concepcion has that edge - but Boston gives Cleveland something different. He’s the bruiser, the traffic eater, the one who can punish defenses on deep posts and corner routes.
Cleveland may have found its own version of Zay Flowers and Mike Evans in the same draft class. And while there isn’t much reason to celebrate the situation with Deshaun Watson under center, the Browns do have two young receivers who look like they’ll be around for a long time.
Boston’s start is modest on paper - at least 50 receiving yards and one touchdown through his first two games - but it’s enough to show the Browns may have landed a real difference-maker. With one win already secured, he’s the sort of playmaker this offense was missing a season ago.
In Other News...
Todd Monken Sends Clear Message After Browns Silence Early Doubts
After the Browns steadied things with a Week 2 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Todd Monken had little interest in letting one rough opening act define the conversation around his team. The Cleveland coach went back to the criticism that followed the Week 1 loss, and he framed it around a remark from former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, using it as a springboard to address the early doubts head-on.
Monken did not dispute that the Browns were poor in the opener, but he pushed back on the idea that it should become the team's identity. His message was simple enough: the only real way to change the public view is to play better, and the Browns have already shown they are trying to do exactly that. Tomlin later answered with a little humor of his own, adding another layer to a storyline that has quickly moved beyond one bad Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Have Found Something Big In Their Rookie O-Line
The Browns left Tampa with a 23-19 win, and one of the most encouraging developments came up front, where rookie tackles Spencer Fano and Austin Barber helped steady an offensive line that was under pressure in a tight game. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, neither rookie allowed a pressure, a strong early sign for a unit that has leaned on youth and had to adjust quickly. Fano, the Browns 2026 first-round pick, has already flashed the kind of upside that made him a premium selection, while Barber has stepped into a starting role because of an injury and handled the assignment well.
Todd Monken has been quick to praise both players for the way they have contributed through the first two games, and it is easy to see why the Browns are paying attention. For a team trying to build stability at the line of scrimmage, getting reliable play from two rookies this early matters, especially when one arrived with first-round expectations and the other had to seize an opportunity the hard way. If this level of play holds, Cleveland may have uncovered a lot more than just a promising spot start. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Defense Just Showed A Different Side Fans Need To Watch
The Browns defense looked a little different in its latest outing, leaning harder into man coverage, bringing more blitzes and making life far less comfortable for the opposing quarterback. It was the kind of shift that stands out because Cleveland has spent so much of the early season trying to find a steadier identity on that side of the ball, and this version looked more aggressive and more connected from front to back.
Mason Graham and Isaiah McGuire helped set the tone up front, while Denzel Ward was active on the back end and Myles Harden added a milestone moment with his first career interception. The snap counts and grades tell part of the story, but the bigger takeaway is harder to ignore: the Browns may have uncovered a defensive approach worth watching closely if they can keep building on it. [Read more 🡒]