NFL draft insider predicts Bills select big-play wideout for Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills are preparing for their Wild Card showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday. They’re hopeful they can make a deep run and potentially earn a trip to the Super Bowl, but there’s one Achilles heel that could stop them.

Despite having 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen at quarterback and 2025 NFL rushing leader James Cook at running back, Buffalo’s offense often finds itself stalled out. The reason for this goes back to the absence of a true No. 1 wide receiver. If they wind up falling short this year, their issues in the passing game will be the reason.

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That’s why Todd McShay has Buffalo going for a pass-catcher in his first 2026 NFL mock draft. McShay tabbed Washington’s Denzel Boston as their pick at No. 24, claiming he will give Allen a much needed “big-play target.”

Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Oregon. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

”Boston is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver who has looked like a grown-ass man for the Huskies since stepping onto Washington’s campus a couple years back,” McShay wrote. “And he’s played like one this year, with a contested-catch percentage that is way up from 54.5 percent in 2024 to 76.9 percent this season. He’d be a big-play target for Josh Allen.”

Boston would give the Bills a wideout with plenty of size, which is what they liked about 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman. Unlike Coleman, Boston has the speed to create separation. Couple that with his contested-catch ability, and he truly has the makings of a WR1.

Selecting Denzel Boston would signal the end for Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman carries the ball against the New York Jets. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Buffalo coaching staff has been patient with Keon Coleman, but they’ve also been disappointed. He didn’t take the step forward they hoped he would in year two, and he was a healthy scratch in four games.

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Selecting Boston would be an admission that Coleman isn’t the guy, and while it’s feasible he develops into a productive WR2, it’s hard to see him gaining the full trust of the staff. Instead, it’s more likely the front office looks to move on in such a scenario.

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