What Should Boston Do: Enter Draft or Play Another UW Season?

Everyone is in Denzel Boston's ear these days, which can't be an overly pleasant experience for the talented University of Washington wide receiver. In fact, it must be sensory overload.

The discussion centers around whether he should enter next April's NFL draft or return for a fifth college season.

Among the voices are the agents, the UW advisory council, Husky coach Jedd Fisch, no doubt his parents and probably some of his teammates.

"I think with the Denzel scenario there are multiple forces that are all talking at the same time," Fisch said.

Denzel Boston celebrates the win over Illinois. | Dave Sizer photo

If the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Boston simply trusted the mock drafts out there, say if he googled the first five that came up, he's on all of them.

Thirteenth to the Ravens, according to CBS.

Nineteenth to the Steelers, so say both Pro Football Focus and On3.

And 21st and 25th to the Bills, if you are to believe Dynasty Nerds and Saturday Blitz.

Fisch has been working the phones, gathering information from his NFL sources. He thinks Boston would benefit from talking to his former UW teammate Rome Odunze.

"I'm hopeful he talks to Rome and asks Rome what it was like to come back for a final year," Fisch said of the one-time Husky receiver now with the Chicago Bears. "And at the same token, talk to people who left early."

Actually, in doing a quick fact check here, which is pertinent to advising Boston, Odunze left after four seasons at the UW, which is what Denzel is facing.

Odunze had a year of eligibility remaining for two reasons: he and the rest of the Huskies played only four games during a COVID-shortened 2020, which met the redshirt criteria, and everyone automatically received an added year anyway because of the pandemic intrusion on their season.

Boston, who is healthy and ready to go for Saturday's LA Bowl against Boise State at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area, likewise is considering leaving the UW after four seasons. He has a fifth year available to him because he in played just four games as a freshman in 2022, meeting the redshirt limitations.

Denzel Boston makes a touchdown catch against Michigan. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Currently, the big issue for him is whether he will leave too much money on the table by potentially going in the back half of the first round or later in contrast to waiting another year and elevating into Odunze range, which was ninth overall in 2023.

"I believe personally if you can play college football, you should play college football," Fisch said. "I believe the more you play, the more film you have. And the more film you have, the more people see you in a positive light. And the more people see you in a positive light, the higher you get picked."

The UW advisory council is seeking a draft grade from the NFL that Boston can work off to formulate a fiscally wise decision.

Meantime, Fisch is prepared for anything that Boston might do.

The graceful Denzel Boston pulls in one of his 4 catches against the Ducks. | Dave Sizer photo

"If Denzel leaves, then we know we're going to have a very high draft pick player who just left our program." Fisch said. "If Denzel stays, we know we'll have a future very high draft pick player that's playing wide receiver for us. That's how we presented it to him.

"I just want Denzel to make whatever is the best decision for him and our program will benefit from that decision, one way or another."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: