Washington’s Denzel Boston and Jonah Coleman have each declared for the NFL Draft as top prospects at their respective positions. At 6’-4” and 210 pounds, Boston is expected to be a first-round pick in April. He is forgoing his final year of eligibility in Seattle after establishing himself as one of the most reliable receivers in the nation over the past two seasons. Coleman is a highly experienced running back, having played in 50 games at the collegiate level. His blend of physicality and versatility out of the backfield makes him an intriguing tailback for the next level.
Boston, Coleman Declare for NFL
WR Denzel Boston
Boston was Washington’s leading receiver in 2025, catching 62 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his final game as a Husky, Boston caught six passes for 126 yards in the LA Bowl against Boise State. That included a 78-yard touchdown reception, Washington’s longest play from scrimmage of the season.
The former Husky had his best career game against Illinois this year. Boston caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown in Washington’s 42-25 win. He also had a 12-yard passing touchdown in that game, delivering a throw to Coleman. Jedd Fisch utilized Boston as the team’s punt returner over the last two seasons as well. Though he was a starting receiver, Fisch continuously pointed to Boston’s reliability as the primary reason for putting him back deep. Boston returned 26 punts for 220 total yards in his career and never muffed a punt. That included a 78-yard return touchdown against UC Davis this season.
Over the course of his four seasons at Washington, Boston played in 43 games, catching 132 passes for 1,781 yards and 20 touchdowns. In back-to-back seasons, Boston had nearly identical receiving statistics in 2024 and 2025. He caught 63 passes for 834 yards in 2024 and 62 passes for 881 receiving yards. He led the Huskies in receiving touchdowns in each of those two seasons.
Contested Catches
The biggest differentiator for Boston, and a reason he’ll be a high draft pick, is his ability to turn 50/50 passes into 70/30 passes. The Husky receiver pulled down 10 contested catches this season on 13 opportunities. Boston had just two drops on the season, and only five in his entire career. On multiple occasions, Boston showed he can win battles at the catch point with defenders with strong hands.
“I’m on that jug machine catching every other angle, turning my body,” Boston said earlier this year, speaking to his ability to make those contested catches. “Even the tennis ball machine [for] a smaller ball to catch. [I’m] just using those resources to my use.”
RB Jonah Coleman
Pro Football Focus ranks Coleman as the number two running back in the 2026 NFL Draft Class. The 5’-9” and 222-pound running back finished his collegiate career with 3,054 rushing yards, 34 rushing scores, and an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Coleman had a career high in rushing yards in his first season at Washington with 1,053 yards as a junior. A year later, he posted a career high in rushing touchdowns with 15 as a senior.
Coleman played in 50 of 51 possible games in his career, missing only one due to injury, which was late in the 2025 season. The separator with Coleman as a running back is his blend of physicality and versatility out of the backfield. Coleman totaled 2,270 yards after contact in his career (74% of his total yards), averaging 4.2 yards after contact per attempt. Over the course of his four-year career, Coleman forced 172 missed tackles. He had 67 of those in 2024, good for an average of 5.5 missed tackles forced per game.
Coleman’s Versatility
As a pass-catcher, Coleman became an increased threat in each of his seasons. The 2025 season was his best as a receiver, catching 31 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns. Coleman was the fourth-most targeted player on the Husky offense this year. In four seasons, he had 88 catches for 825 yards and three scores.
To cap off his career, Coleman earned recognition as a finalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy. The award, widely regarded as the “Academic Heisman,” is presented to the nation’s premier scholar-athlete. One who best combines academic success, football performance, and leadership on and off the field.
Main Image: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
