Denzel Boston's Case for 2026 Offensive Rookie of the Year is Rock Solid and Here's Why

As we make our way past the first quarter of the NFL regular season, a number of rookies have wasted no time in making big time plays on both sides of the ball.

Among them stands Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Denzel Boston, a second round pick out of Washington who’s quickly become the team’s top receiving threat.

Here are six reasons why Boston could become Cleveland's first ever Offensive Rookie of the Year:

A stabilizing force

First off, Boston has been really good. The former Husky started showing off his impressive skills during the offseason, and that translated well into the summer during training camp and preseason. Once the regular season kicked off, Boston confirmed what everybody in Berea already knew -- he’s incredibly hard to guard.

So far, Boston has caught 13 balls for 284 yards with two scores, averaging 71.0 yards per game and hasn’t fumbled the football once. All this while not just playing alongside one of the league’s most uncertain quarterback situations, but also helping Deshaun Watson find his groove as the team’s starter and becoming a steadying influence for the team’s offense.

After four games as his quarterback, Watson understands that when he throws the ball in Boston’s direction -- something he’s done 22 times already -- good things happen for Cleveland.

Big play Boston

Boston is currently ranking third in targets within the Browns’ offense, one behind tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and six behind team leader and fellow rookie wideout KC Concepcion. Yet, Boston leads the team handily in receiving yards with 284, compared to Fannin’s 153 and Concepcion’s 144. In other words, nobody is stretching the field for Cleveland better than Boston.

Among all rookie wideouts, Boston is already a big deal, too. He’s ranked first or tied for first in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and yards per reception (minimum two receptions), while ranking third in targets and catches.

And among all wideouts in the NFL, rookies and veterans, Boston is second in yards per reception (21.8) and 10th in receiving yards.

Should he keep up his current pace, Boston would end the season with 1,207 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. In terms of yards, that’s mostly in line with what the team’s last two Pro Bowl wideouts produced -- Jerry Jeudy had 1,229 yards in 2024 while Amari Cooper had 1,250 in 2023. However, Boston’s nine projected scores would equal the nine touchdowns combined from Jeudy (four) and Cooper (five) over those two years combined.

Wideouts are earning respect

It’s no secret that we’ve been living in a passing league for quite some time. Yet, wide receivers have had to wait to get their dues when it comes to this award. Only 12 wideouts have been named Offensive Rookie of the Year since the award was inaugurated in 1967, with half of them being recognized since 2003 including three in the last five years. For the second time ever in the awards history, Boston would make it back-to-back for the position, after Tetairoa McMillan took it home last year.

Boston currently has the second shortest betting line to take home the OROY award with +400 to +750 odds, so it's clear he's getting noticed.

Year	Name	Team
1968	Earl McCullough	Detroit Lions
1976	Sammy White	Minnesota Vikings
1984	Louis Lipps	Pittsburgh Steelers
1985	Eddie Brown	Cincinnati Bengals
1992	Carl Pickens	Cincinnati Bengals
1998	Randy Moss	Minnesota Vikings
2003	Anquan Boldin	Arizona Cardinals
2009	Percy Harvin	Minnesota Vikings
2014	Odell Beckham Jr.	New York Giants
2021	Ja'Marr Chase	Cincinnati Bengals
2022	Garrett Wilson	New York Jets
2025	Tetairoa McMillan	Carolina Panthers
2026	???	???

Running backs are on the mend

So far, 35 running backs have taken this award through its first 49 years, so it’s always a good bet, Yet, the draft’s top rookies have been or are currently injured, and no rookie has rushed for more than one score yet in the season, so it's fair to say there hasn’t been a real attention grabber so far in the run game.

Plus, the last running back to win OROY honors was eight years ago -- Saquon Barkley in 2018. From an award standpoint, their time might have passed.

Quarterbacks have been shutout

Ten quarterbacks were drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Fernando Mendoza No. 1 by the Raiders, None of them have started a game.

As a matter of fact, the Bucs’ undrafted Jalon Daniels is the only rookie quarterback to start a game so far in the season. QBs have won half of these awards over the past decade, including two out of the last three, but there are no obvious candidates at this position so far in 2026.

Browns are due

Along with Offensive Player of the Year, this is the only major individual honor that the Browns as a team have never won, notwithstanding the legendary Jim Brown taking AP’s inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1957, before it got split into an offensive side and a defensive side.

Boston is Cleveland’s best bet since, at least, Baker Mayfield’s 2018 rookie campaign. It’s still early in the year, but Boston is doing his part while the rest of the league might be lining up to help him achieve it.

Add us as a preferred source on Google