David Boston, the eighth overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft out of Ohio State, has three children. A daughter named Alaia, and two sons: Jaylen and Brayden. None of them play college football, none of them went to Washington, and the Cleveland Browns didn’t draft any of them on Friday night except Denzel Boston.

When the Browns picked Denzel, the wide receiver out of Washington, 39th overall in the 2026 NFL draft’s round 2, the Dawg Pound erupted in cheers. But back at ESPN’s broadcast booth, host Mike Greenberg had a case of mistaken identity.

“You remember his dad, David Boston, first-round pick out of Ohio State in 1999,” Mike Greenberg had said.

But Greenberg was wrong. The two men share a last name and nothing else. Denzel Boston was born in Boise, Idaho, the youngest of four brothers, raised by his parents, Chris and Rechelle Boston. Chris is a football coach, and he was sitting next to Denzel, along with his wife, when the Browns called their son’s name.

The backlash was immediate. Hundreds of fans took to social media and called out Greenberg’s mistake. Two hours after the slip, when the Browns traded their 74th overall pick to the New York Giants, Greenberg issued a public apology.

“I was waiting for them to come around again so that I could make an apology to Denzel Boston, who, earlier tonight, I misidentified as being the son of former NFL receiver David Boston,” Greenberg said. “It was a mistake in my research. It’s a terrible one, and I apologize to them both. They are not related to each other, and so I apologize to both David and Denzel Boston.”

The night before, during the first round, Greenberg had no idea the Miami Dolphins had traded up from pick 30 to pick 27 in a deal with the San Francisco 49ers – while ESPN’s own graphic showed the Dolphins logo on screen.

“And the Commissioner making his way to the podium here for the 49ers’ selection at 27,” Greenberg said.

Even when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Dolphins picking defensive back Chris Johnson, Mike Greenberg still had no idea.

“Alright, so the California kid stays in California,” Greenberg said after the announcement. “Grew up in Long Beach, then a two-year starter at San Diego State, where he was the Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.”

Two major blunders across two nights are a preparation problem, and that is exactly what the NFL community called Greenberg out on before he issued his apology. And the irony is that what Cleveland actually did at pick 39 deserved proper airtime, which the mistake ruined.

What Denzel Boston brings to Cleveland

After Denzel got picked by the Cleveland Browns, Glenn Cook, their assistant general manager and VP of player personnel, shared the value of the pick.

“We think a lot about Denzel’s talent and his ability,” Cook said. “I think a lot of teams probably had him with the first-round grade or really high up. So, you know, we’re just excited that we had the chance to still get him where we were sitting at.”

Boston played 12 games for Washington in 2025 and caught 62 passes for 881 yards. Since 2024, he has logged 20 receiving touchdowns – a number that makes him one of the more productive pass-catchers in this draft class. At 6’4” and 215 pounds, he can help the Browns as a boundary receiver who wins contested catches. NFL.com’s scouting report puts it plainly:

“Boston gets off the line with good burst and maintains his top speed throughout the route,” the report notes. “He could have issues beating press, but releases can also be schemed. He’s very skilled when it comes to winning jump balls and contested throws. Boston also knows how to win in the red zone. Acclimating to NFL competition could take a year, but Boston has the makeup to become a productive possession target with above-average red-zone value.”

The report also drew a direct comparison to Los Angeles Rams’ star WR Puka Nacua, noting that even Nacua had “speed/separation concerns” when the Rams drafted him in 2023. But those issues can be fixed over time. And Browns general manager Andrew Berry already has a mission for his new WR.

“I need you to be a bully,” Monken told Denzel on a video conference. “You’re 6’4”, 215, you’ve got great hands. I need you to bring some bully balling to Cleveland on the perimeter.”

Boston’s answer: “Yes, sir. For sure.”

Boston joins first-round pick KC Concepcion in Cleveland’s rebuilt receiver room. And he’s excited about what the two of them can bring to the Browns’ offense.

“We’re going to bring a good mix of explosiveness and having explosive plays after explosive plays,” Boston said. “Both of us have generated tons of touchdowns throughout our college careers. So I think those are the two things for sure you can look forward to.”

Boston waited two years behind three future NFL receivers at Washington (Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk). He waited a round longer than most scouts had him projected. But he didn’t complain on either count. Mike Greenberg may have gotten his information wrong, but the Browns didn’t.