While there is the persistent concern coming out of Berea these days about who will be throwing the ball to open the 2026 season as the Cleveland Browns trudge through the early stages of training camp, there is less and less concern about who will be catching the ball. Indeed, not only did the Browns struggle at quarterback last season, but their wide receiver room did no one any favors, and was arguably the worst in the league. But the Browns draft KC Concepcion in the first round in April, and Denzel Boston in the second. And things are looking up.
Boston has been showing his wares all spring and now into camp–at 6-foot-4 with good hands, that makes some sense. Concepcion is a speedster and it’s only really with the pads on, as they were on Monday, that his impact can really be seen.
(Concepcion had a shoulder injury near the end of practice, but he is reportedly OK. )
KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston Impressing at Browns Camp
Browns beat writer Zac Jackson, who has never been known for giving the team more credit than it deserves, had a strong statement on the pair of rookies WRs.
He wrote on Twitter/X: “Concepcion and Boston are already miles – galaxies – better than any of the other wide receivers.”
Now, it is worth noting that the rest of the Browns receivers are uninspiring, so it is a low bar we are talking about here. There’s hope that veteran Jerry Jeudy–a Pro Bowler in 2024–can return to form after a rough 2025, but there’s also speculation that Jeudy will be traded elsewhere by the end of camp. It’s hard to say if the Browns want to leave the wide receiver room without a veteran, but after last season, it can’t be said that Jeudy is much of a veteran leader.
Browns 1st-Rounder KC Concepcion Making Tough Catches
But there are notes from the Browns Film Breakdown site that back up, with some detail, what Jackson is saying.
The first note: “Denzel Boston is creating the separation we wanted to see. He’s beating man coverage and finding nuance to beat zone looks in tight spaces. The ball tracking, high-point stuff was always his main skill and it’s translated. Never doubted that. It’s the concern around separation he’s proving that stands out.”
And the second: “KC Concepcion is effortlessly fluid. Doing all the quick-twitch things you’d expect. He floats in the air going up and is as quick as advertised. His biggest concern? Catch consistency. And he’s thriving.”
The close was: “You should be excited.”
Todd Monken Pumps Brakes on Denzel Boston Comp
Now, coach Todd Monken did point out that maybe Browns backers should not get too excited about Boston. There has been chatter comparing him to Bucs great Mike Evans (now a 49er), and Monken was the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator from 2016-18. He pumped the brakes on the comparison.
“We’re comparing a little early to compare to Mike Evans, who’s an absolute stud,” Monken said. “Not only from his size, catch radius, ability to bend and get in and out of breaks, has an unbelievable competitive spirit to want to win. … Denzel has some of those attributes in terms of catch radius. I haven’t seen it yet, the edge that Mike plays with yet, but he’s still a rookie, so I wasn’t there for his (Mike’s) first two years. But I think the catch radius and the ability to throw it up to him, you do see certain aspects of Mike’s game in him.”
Browns 2 Rookies Tabbed ‘Miles Better’ Than Veteran Teammates