Even after trading for Michael Pittman Jr. at the start of free agency, we knew the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to have interest in taking a wide receiver early in the 2026 NFL Draft. And after today, one wideout, in particular, is clearly on their first-round radar.
On Tuesday, Noah Strackbein of Steelers On SI reported that Pittsburgh is hosting Washington receiver Denzel Boston for a pre-draft visit. Strackbein also reported that the Steelers were set to meet with Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. and Louisiana-Lafayette linebacker Jaden Dugger.
Boston's 30 visit with the Steelers had previously been reported. Now the big wideout is officially meeting with Pittsburgh's brass. The Steelers also had a formal meeting with Boston at the NFL Combine.
And just like that, Boston checks the most boxes of any player to be Pittsburgh's selection at pick No. 21 in the first round.
Unfortunately, this confirmed pre-draft visit raises one major question about the team's roster makeup: Is Boston the type of receiver this team should be targeting in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Denzel Boston is not a great fit with the Pittsburgh Steelers' current roster makeup
For a team as desperate for wide receiver talent as the Pittsburgh Steelers in recent years, they aren't about to turn anyone away that they believe can help their passing game. Boston has strong hands and can use his body to work through contact.
But this simply isn't the type of receiver this team needs most.
At 6'3 5/8'' and 212 pounds, Boston is a big-bodied receiver with average athletic traits at the position and not a ton of wiggle after the catch. If the Steelers were to select him in Round 1, he would slot in Pittsburgh's 11 personnel offense, probably as Mike McCarthy's 'big slot' receiver. Meanwhile, the Steelers already have two massive receivers on the roster in DK Metcalf (6'3 3/8'', 228 lbs.) and Michael Pittman (6'4'', 223 lbs.).
Ironically, Boston has frequently been compared to Pittman due to their similar body types and play styles. The problem is that, while Pittman has been a solid player in the NFL, he has some obvious limitations... and Boston does too.
Boston's average athletic traits and lack of snap movements won't allow him to be a receiver who will gash defenses after the catch, and he's simply not fluid enough to create a ton of separation at the top of his routes. I have a Round 2 grade on Boston, and he projects as a starting WR2 at the next level, not a true No. 1 wideout.
Boston was also a healthy scratch from the 40-yard dash at both his Pro Day and the NFL Combine, confirming serious questions scouts already had about his top-end speed.
Boston is a high-floor prospect, thanks to his size, hands, and family bloodlines (his father was All-Pro wideout David Boston). But the Steelers need a more dynamic receiver who can get open routinely and make things happen after the catch. This doesn't fit the description of Denzel Boston.