The San Francisco 49ers have been linked to several receiver prospects throughout the pre-draft process leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. They've been most often linked to Omar Cooper Jr. and KC Concepcion, but if Jordyn Tyson falls down the board, it'll be hard for Kyle Shanahan to pass on him.
Those are the three wideouts that if the 49ers drafted, fans would be pretty happy, but there's one WR that fans should not want to see in San Francisco: Washington's Denzel Boston. If Boston is the only top-flight receiver available at 27, John Lynch would be better off pivoting to another position.
Boston is a solid player, but as a first-round pick, he comes with way too many holes for a franchise looking to win now. The Niners are also in a unique position where they can wait to address receiver given the depth of the position and their many holes on the roster rather than force a pick at 27.
Denzel Boston should not be highlighted on the San Francisco 49ers' draft board as a Jauan Jennings successor
The 22-year-old has the size (6'3 5/8, 212 pounds) that should translate to the NFL, but that's the only trait that serves in his favor. Boston lacks the game-breaking speed or the separation ability that most wideouts need to thrive in the pros, let alone the versatility of a guy like Cooper or Concepcion.
He caught 62 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, with his size helping him become the Huskies' top target in the red zone. He didn't even test at the combine (yet wouldn't have done well if he did), so all Boston really is is a jump-ball threat rather than a long-term WR1 for a WR-needy team.
I get that DC Raheem Morris spent time with Drake London in Atlanta, but Boston is no London as a downfield threat. If anything, he's more like N'Keal Harry or Keon Coleman. Those same "jump ball merchants" at receiver never really turn into much unless they have the speed, which Boston lacks.
He's a big body, but if he can't separate and isn't a good athlete, what exactly does he offer you besides a lift in the red zone? And the 49ers still have Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle and just signed Mike Evans, so it's not like Brock Purdy badly needs the Niners to add a red zone safety valve, even with Jauan Jennings unlikely to return.
Most people see the All-Big Ten receiver as a likely first-round pick, but I have a second-round grade on him. The one thing about him is that his hands are supposed to be great, but Boston does have some drop problems. And for a guy with his catch radius, you should have no issues with his hands.
Boston is probably the most boom-or-bust guy of the top-end receivers, so given their bad luck drafting WRs, Lynch and the Niners are better suited to consider other options to replace Jennings later on in the draft, like Malachi Fields or De'Zhaun Stribling.
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