The 2026 NFL Draft class offered just about every type of wide receiver imaginable at the top of the board, from shifty, explosive playmakers like KC Concepcion, to big, physical red-zone weapons like Denzel Boston.
Instead of deciding between the two archetypes, the Cleveland Browns decided to grab both of them.
After using their top pick to address the offensive line, the Browns grabbed Concepcion later in the first round, using the No. 24 overall pick they acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars during last year's NFL Draft. 15 picks later, Cleveland spent their original second-round pick on Boston.
These two complementary skill sets are a huge addition to a Browns receiver room that had little to get excited about beyond an inconsistent veteran in Jerry Jeudy, and they could raise the ceiling for the entire offense while helping to mitigate a messy quarterback situation.
KC Concepcion is a Big-Play Machine
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Calling a receiver like Concepcion "undersized" is a disservice. He may be short (measured 5-11 5/8 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine), but he's not small (196 pounds), and he plays with a physicality that doesn't get appreciated in receivers that don't top the six-foot mark. He's tough at the catch point when working through contact, and he can break tackles without losing his balance to create extra yards after the catch.
After catching 16 touchdowns over two seasons at North Carolina State, Concepcion grabbed nine more in his lone season at Texas A&M last year, averaging over 15 yards per catch. His ability to challenge opposing defenses over the top, as well as turn short catches into big gains, made him a consistent big-play threat on just about any route.
If you go back to 2023, the Wolfpack put Concepcion's explosiveness and versatility to use out of the backfield. In addition to a solid receiving line that year (71 receptions, 839 yards, 10 touchdowns), Concepcion carried the ball 41 times for 320 yards, averaging nearly eight yards per attempt.
New Browns head coach Todd Monken had a similar player to work with in Baltimore in Zay Flowers, so he should have a good idea of how to maximize Concepcion's skill set to help create more big plays for an offense that just hasn't had enough of them in recent years. Regardless of how the ball gets in his hands, Concepcion has proven throughout his college career that he knows how to gash defenses for huge chunks of yardage.
Denzel Boston Dominates Above the Rim
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Size isn't a problem for Boston, who measured in at the NFL Scouting Combine just shy of 6-4 and 212 pounds. He's the ideal red-zone target every quarterback loves to have, with the ability to box out and leap over defensive backs and secure the ball before they ever get a chance to swipe a hand at it.
After patiently waiting his turn behind a star-studded receiver trio at Washington (Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja'Lynn Polk), Boston made up for lost time once he became a full-time starter. His overall production was solid, but he made the biggest impact the closer the Huskies got to the end zone, hauling in 20 touchdown receptions over the past two seasons.
He's not just a possession receiver, though. Boston has impressive overall athleticism and surprising short-area quickness and acceleration for a bigger receiver, an underrated part of his game that even caused Washington to let him return punts (he returned a 78-yarder for a score last year). Boston has enough juice to challenge opposing defenders on the deep ball, and he can turn those quick slants from mere chain-movers into explosive plays after the catch.
I had 26 players on my board with first-round grades in this year's NFL Draft class, and Boston was one of them (No. 23 overall). He had no business still being on the board at No. 39 overall, where the Browns wisely snagged one of the most complete receivers in the draft.
Making Life Easier for the Browns' QBs
Who knows what the present and future will look like at quarterback for the Browns, who have a terrible track record of developing consistent, quality play at the game's most important position.
Deshaun Watson appears to be getting another crack at the starting job, but his presence on the roster is dictated far more by how much it would cost to get rid of him than what he's shown on the field since arguably the worst trade in NFL history brought him to Cleveland. Shedeur Sanders has shown the most promise of anyone on the current roster, but he's still a work in progress. Dillon Gabriel was uninspiring in limited work as a rookie last year, and while late-round rookie Taylen Green might have the most upside of all of them (huge, athletic, rocket arm, 4.3 speed), he still needs a ton of refinement as a passer before he's ready to start against NFL defenses.
Whoever ends up throwing the passes in Cleveland this season and beyond, though, that player will benefit from a much-improved group of pass-catchers after adding two players in Concepcion and Boston who have perfectly complementary skill sets, as well as limitless upside.
Throw in the veteran experience and splash-play ability of Jeudy, and the versatility/athleticism of a budding superstar in Harold Fannin Jr. at tight end, and you've got a recipe for an exciting aerial attack if the ball can just get to them.
