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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The biggest storyline with the Cleveland Browns may be in the quarterback room, as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders continue to battle for the starting job. But there's another, quieter position battle in Cleveland that may already have its winner.
When the Browns selected KC Concepcion with the 24th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, many believed they'd found a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver to build around. The 6-foot, 200-pound speedster was coming off a strong junior year at Texas A&M, where he hauled in 61 receptions for 919 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 15.1 yards per catch and earning consensus All-American honors as an elite all-purpose player.
He also put up 456 punt return yards on 26 attempts — two returned for touchdowns — along with 75 rushing yards and a rushing score.
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But it's actually the Browns' other rookie wide receiver who's making the most noise at practice: second-round pick Denzel Boston. The 6-foot-4 wideout has produced highlight plays throughout training camp, connecting repeatedly with both Watson and Sanders. On Thursday, ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi noted that Boston is trending to be Cleveland's No. 1 receiver "sooner rather than later."
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Jerry Jeudy clearly struggled amid the team's quarterback issues last year, finishing with just 602 yards and two touchdowns on 50 receptions — all career-lows over a full 17-game season. The former first-round pick still has one year left on his deal, but the Browns clearly made it a priority to load up on receivers in the draft, taking Concepcion and Boston both within the first two rounds.
Boston is coming off a strong senior year at Washington, where he posted 881 yards and 11 touchdowns on 62 catches, averaging 14.2 yards per catch and earning third-team All-Big Ten honors. He's a much bigger target than Concepcion and more of a natural outside X-receiver, making him a dangerous red-zone threat for Cleveland's offense. Coming into the draft, he drew comparisons to players like Courtland Sutton, Mike Evans, and Puka Nacua — three true No. 1 options for their respective teams.
If he continues building rapport with whoever emerges as the starting quarterback, he has a real shot at becoming the biggest playmaker on this offense.
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