As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, the analysis, hot takes, and mock drafts are at an all-time high, but Conor Orr, a writer for “Sports Illustrated” and the co-host of the “The MMQB NFL Podcast” with Albert Breer, dropped an idea for the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13 overall that hasn’t been seen anywhere else.
NFL Writer Pegs Unlikely Receiver to the Los Angeles Rams
On “The MMQB NFL Podcast,” Breer and Orr were doing a mock draft, picks 11 through 20, and at No. 13 overall, Orr picked former Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston to land with the Rams.
“The Rams were interested in trading for A.J. Brown,” Orr said. “What receiver profiles the closest to A.J. Brown in this draft? Physical, big, Sean McVay’s been trying to reimagine this receiver room consistently. The Rams like guys that are going to benefit the run game as much as the pass.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa… I like the fit, that’s a big reach,” Breer replied in disbelief. “I mean, I do know like last year, having Devante Adams sort of opened some things up that they hadn’t had open up. They hadn’t really had like that big outs, the prototypical outside like X receiver before getting Devante Adams in. And Boston could kind of profile to be the replacement for Devante Adams there whenever Adams winds up moving on. So I’m not going to crush you for it about that.”
According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, Adams finished last season as the 52nd-ranked receiver in the league with an impact score of 74.2.
Should the team take Boston, they’ll be getting a receiver who caught 62 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. In 2024, he had similar numbers, catching 63 passes for 834 yards and 9 touchdowns. He saw his yards per catch increase from 13.2 to 14.2, and his yards per game increase from 64.2 to 73.4. Over his four-year college career, Boston scored a total of 21 touchdowns in 43 games.
Looking over his measureables from the NFL Scouting Combine, he measured in at 6′ 3⅝”, 212 pounds, and a 77⅜” wingspan. According to PFSN, two of his closest comparisons, based on the recorded measureables, were Zach Pascal and Courtney Taylor.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
In PFSN’s Ryan Guthrie’s latest 3-round mock draft, he had Boston not even going in the first round; instead, he had him drop to the Tennessee Titans at No. 35 overall, praising his contested-catch ability.
As for the Rams at No. 13 overall, he had them taking Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano, who has been profiled as a player who could really play anywhere along the offensive line.
