We're only three weeks into the 2026 NFL season, but Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston has a chance to already start running away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Literally.
Well, not literally running away with the award itself, but running away with the award in the sense that the yardage he's been racking up after the catch could give him an insurmountable lead early in the season.
Alright, that's enough of a setup. The Cleveland Browns have a big matchup in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it's going to be the first time the NFL world is able to see Boston on a big stage like this. He's already off to a great start, but after just two catches on four targets in Week 3, Cleveland is going to be motivated to get him involved heavily.
Denzel Boston's YAC ability could help him pull away with Offensive Rookie of the Year
Confidence on the go-ahead drive 🔑 pic.twitter.com/rCBPga7l3C
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 28, 2026
Even though he only had two receptions against the Panthers in Week 3, Boston actually had a third reception that played a huge role in the Browns getting their second win of the season.
He was the player they drew up a play for on a 2-point conversion that gave the Browns a 3-point lead late in the 4th quarter.
So far this season, Boston has 9 receptions for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers are not exactly earth-shattering, but when you dig a little bit deeper, the picture starts getting clearer.
Boston has the 3rd-best YAC above expectation average in the NFL so far this season (5.7 yards), which means he's creating after the catch when there's nothing there. Boston's 69 yards after the catch make up 35.4 percent of his receiving total this season, and if he can continue creating when he get the ball in space, he's going to quickly become one of the most dangerous all-around threats at the position in the NFL.
He's already got great size at 6-foot-4. He's not the fastest receiver, but he knows how to get an advantage over defenders in other ways, especially in the red zone. And we've seen that on display early on in his rookie year.
Tetairoa McMillan won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2025, and he had 216 yards on 14 receptions over the course of his first three games. He didn't score his first touchdown until Week 6, either.
Boston is well ahead of schedule in so many categories already at this point, and the matchup against the Steelers on Thursday night will be his chance to really cement his candidacy and begin to even run away as the favorite to win the award.
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