Inside The Huskies

SI Mock Draft Has 2 Huskies Included in Top 100

Both players have been high-production guys in Montlake.
Dan Raley|
Denzel Boston continues to show up as a first-rounder in mock drafts.
Denzel Boston continues to show up as a first-rounder in mock drafts. | Dave Sizer photo

The games have been over for a solid week now for the University of Washington football team. What comes next for those Huskies who are done with the college game is the four-month tap dance leading up to the NFL Draft.

As of this weekend, junior wide receiver Denzel Boston and senior running Jonah Coleman have the most at stake coming out of Montlake, with that pair pegged as the UW players who will go the highest in April's talent grab.

Boston and Coleman, according to Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick, are top 100 prospects in this coming draft process.

As the UW's leading pass-catcher this season, Boston, with his commanding size and having become a dedicated possession receiver, seems destined to be a first-rounder, no matter what anyone else says.

Flick slots Boston at No. 28 in the draft, four picks above his former teammate, Germie Bernard, finishing up at Alabama and pegged for an early second-round selection.

If this forecast holds up, Boston, coming off a 62-catch, 881-yard and 11-touchdown season, can expect to draw a four-year, $15 million contract, or $3.75 million per season, with the Cleveland Browns his possible employer.

Here's what the SI draft expert has to say about Boston and his receiving strong suits:

"Big and physical at 6' 4" and 210 pounds, Boston is a tremendous above-the-rim player with strong hands and quality ball skills. He’s not a burner, nor is he overly agile, but he’s a nuanced route runner who understands how to get open."

Jonah Coleman finished up his UW career in the LA Bowl.
Jonah Coleman finished up his UW career in the LA Bowl. | Dave Sizer photo

Coleman, however, sits right at No. 100, dead last in Flick's latest collection of potential draftees, maybe needing a little combine help to move up the ladder for a more lucrative payday, with his projected draft spot making him an early fourth-rounder.

As it is, the 5-foot-9, 220-pound senior, emerging as a career 3,054-yard rusher and 37-touchdown scorer at the UW and Arizona, stands to receive a $4-year, $6 million deal, or $1.5 million a season.

Though slowed by a late-season knee injury, Coleman has worked exceedingly hard for a pro football career by changing his body shape and increasing his quickness.

Coleman's physical style of running the football and his desire to gain yards even with a subpar 2024 offensive line certainly have to be attractive to the NFL scouts who have sized him up. They'll like him even better once they sit him down for team interviews.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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