March 26, 2026, 5:00 p.m. PT
With the NFL draft just over a month away, former Washington Huskies star wide receiver Denzel Boston seems fairly solidified as a first-round pick; the only question is: where will he end up?
As he’s been projected to land with several different teams in the back half of the first round, in Field Yates’ latest mock draft for ESPN, he placed Boston in a fitting location, with the New England Patriots. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound pass catcher is a great fit for the offense that head coach Mike Vrabel is looking to run around quarterback Drake Maye as the team continues to search for a true No. 1 wide receiver.
“The Patriots linger as a team in the A.J. Brown sweepstakes…no deal involving Brown is likely to be made until after June 1,” Yates wrote. “New England’s only 1,000-yard receiver from 2025 (Stefon Diggs) was cut, and the signing of Romeo Doubs doesn’t complete its WR room.”
“The 6-4 Boston would give the team better size than it has in its current corps. He is a smooth-moving, versatile wideout who could make splash plays with quarterback Drake Maye. Boston hauled in 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons, and he dropped only four of his 209 career targets.”
Pairing Boston with Maye, who finished as the runner-up for the 2025 MVP and is one of the NFL’s best deep ball throwers, would be a promising combination for the future as the Patriots look for a young, controllable pass catcher. Boston thrives down the field and in contested catch scenarios after averaging 14.2 yards per reception during his final year on Montlake.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
As Vrabel and the Patriots look to get back to the Super Bowl after winning the 2025 AFC Championship, Boston would be the ideal fit for New England’s offense, assuming he’s available, since some of his other popular landing spots have been the Cleveland Browns at No. 24 overall and the Buffalo Bills at No. 26.