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The Chicago Bears made another splash with the selection of Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III with the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
New head coach Ben Johnson continues to bolster the offense, as Burden joins tight end Colston Loveland (drafted 10th overall) as back-to-back skill position players added for quarterback Caleb Williams. He'll join a receiver group also featuring DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, who shared his excitement about the selection.
Last season with Missouri, Burden had a team-high 61 receptions for 676 yards, averaging 11.1 yards per catch, and six touchdowns in 12 games. Johnson has discussed the importance of the slot receiver in his offense, and that's exactly the role that Burden will be filling in Chicago's offense as a YAC machine.
Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Burden from various media outlets, where experts believe the Bears got an absolute stud who will thrive in Ben Johnson's offense.
USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: "No excuses for Caleb Williams in Year 2. Between the addition of Ben Johnson, the overhauling of the offensive line and the addition of dynamic receiving targets in first-round tight end Colston Loveland and Burden, the Bears have weaponized their attack in impressive fashion. Johnson needs to get Burden to lock in, but the electric run-after-catch threat can ignite big plays, though many of his early touches will likely need to be schemed."
CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso: "Scrumptious. Burden is a dynamic YAC weapon for Ben Johnson. Compact, explosive cuts, stellar vision. Ball-tracking is special too. Think D.J. Moore with his game, which is sudden ironic. No excuses for Caleb Williams now. Ben Johnson will maximize Burden's skill set."
Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame: "Burden may prove one of the exceptional values of the draft. At 6' 0" and 206 pounds, the Missouri product ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the combine, a speed that consistently shows up on tape. One of the elite run-after-catch prospects in this draft, Burden was named first-team All-SEC each of the past two seasons for the Tigers, notching 147 catches, 1,888 yards and 15 touchdowns over that span."
The Athletic's Scott Dochterman: "This was a value pick for Chicago. Burden will help the passing game flourish but doesn’t match the Bears’ needs, so this pick shows Chicago clearly is trying to load up on offense under new coach Ben Johnson. Burden was considered a top-five prospect entering the 2024 season, then his numbers fell dramatically — partly because of injuries on Missouri’s offense. He still translates into a potential No. 1 receiver and will help on day one."
Pro Football Focus: "Chicago is doing everything in its power to set Caleb Williams up for success, giving him two pass-catching weapons with its first two selections. Burden wasn’t able to match his 2023 production (1,212 yards and nine touchdowns) last year at Missouri, but he still has a strong case for being the most dangerous wide receiver in this class after the catch (ranked third among Power Four wide receivers in yards after the catch over the past two seasons)."
Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer: "The Bears add yet another offensive weapon to join Moore and Odunze for Williams after getting Loveland for Johnson's 12 personnel. Burden is a dangerous versatile open-field playmaker who can complement well in 11 personnel with a shot to star in the slot."
33rd Team's Ian Valentino: "Chicago not only maximized their draft slot's value, but also properly identified wide receiver as a real long-term need. With DJ Moore's effort coming into question last year, Burden is the type of athlete and presence to replace him if things don't change. Ben Johnson is the perfect offensive mind to cater to Burden's unique game."
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski: "Entering this past season, Burden was generally viewed as a top-10 talent. Against LSU in 2023, he was the best wide receiver on the field in a game that also featured Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. However, the 2024 campaign didn’t go as expected for him. The 5-star recruit struggled to produce and didn't mesh all that well with Missouri's offensive scheme. Burden also received plenty of flak from sources prior to the draft. Todd McShay of The Ringer said some NFL teams were labeling him as a "diva." But Burden's ability is obvious when he's on his game."
For The Win's Christian D'Andrea: "The last lingering remnant of the Bryce Young trade is one of the most talented pass catchers in this year’s crop. Burden fell off following 2023’s 1,200-yard campaign, but his short-range separation skills and run-after-catch ability should make him a valued arrow in Caleb Williams’s quiver. And now he gets to play under Ben Johnson and alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze (and Colston Loveland). Man, the Bears are gonna be fun in 2025."
SB Nation's Joseph Acosta: "This RULES. I thought Burden was a borderline first round prospect, someone who could bring a lot of juice to an offense with the ball in his hands. Although he’s a bit more of a slot receiver, he won’t have to play outside with Rome Odunze and DJ Moore on the team. Get QB Caleb Williams all the tools he needs, and let him cook."
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears draft Luther Burden III: Experts hand out grades for Chicago
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New head coach Ben Johnson continues to bolster the offense, as Burden joins tight end Colston Loveland (drafted 10th overall) as back-to-back skill position players added for quarterback Caleb Williams. He'll join a receiver group also featuring DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, who shared his excitement about the selection.
Last season with Missouri, Burden had a team-high 61 receptions for 676 yards, averaging 11.1 yards per catch, and six touchdowns in 12 games. Johnson has discussed the importance of the slot receiver in his offense, and that's exactly the role that Burden will be filling in Chicago's offense as a YAC machine.
Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Burden from various media outlets, where experts believe the Bears got an absolute stud who will thrive in Ben Johnson's offense.
USA Today: A-
USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: "No excuses for Caleb Williams in Year 2. Between the addition of Ben Johnson, the overhauling of the offensive line and the addition of dynamic receiving targets in first-round tight end Colston Loveland and Burden, the Bears have weaponized their attack in impressive fashion. Johnson needs to get Burden to lock in, but the electric run-after-catch threat can ignite big plays, though many of his early touches will likely need to be schemed."
CBS Sports: A+
CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso: "Scrumptious. Burden is a dynamic YAC weapon for Ben Johnson. Compact, explosive cuts, stellar vision. Ball-tracking is special too. Think D.J. Moore with his game, which is sudden ironic. No excuses for Caleb Williams now. Ben Johnson will maximize Burden's skill set."
Sports Illustrated: A+
Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame: "Burden may prove one of the exceptional values of the draft. At 6' 0" and 206 pounds, the Missouri product ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the combine, a speed that consistently shows up on tape. One of the elite run-after-catch prospects in this draft, Burden was named first-team All-SEC each of the past two seasons for the Tigers, notching 147 catches, 1,888 yards and 15 touchdowns over that span."
The Athletic: B-
The Athletic's Scott Dochterman: "This was a value pick for Chicago. Burden will help the passing game flourish but doesn’t match the Bears’ needs, so this pick shows Chicago clearly is trying to load up on offense under new coach Ben Johnson. Burden was considered a top-five prospect entering the 2024 season, then his numbers fell dramatically — partly because of injuries on Missouri’s offense. He still translates into a potential No. 1 receiver and will help on day one."
Pro Football Focus: Elite
Pro Football Focus: "Chicago is doing everything in its power to set Caleb Williams up for success, giving him two pass-catching weapons with its first two selections. Burden wasn’t able to match his 2023 production (1,212 yards and nine touchdowns) last year at Missouri, but he still has a strong case for being the most dangerous wide receiver in this class after the catch (ranked third among Power Four wide receivers in yards after the catch over the past two seasons)."
Sporting News: B
Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer: "The Bears add yet another offensive weapon to join Moore and Odunze for Williams after getting Loveland for Johnson's 12 personnel. Burden is a dangerous versatile open-field playmaker who can complement well in 11 personnel with a shot to star in the slot."
33rd Team: A
33rd Team's Ian Valentino: "Chicago not only maximized their draft slot's value, but also properly identified wide receiver as a real long-term need. With DJ Moore's effort coming into question last year, Burden is the type of athlete and presence to replace him if things don't change. Ben Johnson is the perfect offensive mind to cater to Burden's unique game."
Bleacher Report: A
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski: "Entering this past season, Burden was generally viewed as a top-10 talent. Against LSU in 2023, he was the best wide receiver on the field in a game that also featured Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. However, the 2024 campaign didn’t go as expected for him. The 5-star recruit struggled to produce and didn't mesh all that well with Missouri's offensive scheme. Burden also received plenty of flak from sources prior to the draft. Todd McShay of The Ringer said some NFL teams were labeling him as a "diva." But Burden's ability is obvious when he's on his game."
For The Win: A
For The Win's Christian D'Andrea: "The last lingering remnant of the Bryce Young trade is one of the most talented pass catchers in this year’s crop. Burden fell off following 2023’s 1,200-yard campaign, but his short-range separation skills and run-after-catch ability should make him a valued arrow in Caleb Williams’s quiver. And now he gets to play under Ben Johnson and alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze (and Colston Loveland). Man, the Bears are gonna be fun in 2025."
SB Nation: A+
SB Nation's Joseph Acosta: "This RULES. I thought Burden was a borderline first round prospect, someone who could bring a lot of juice to an offense with the ball in his hands. Although he’s a bit more of a slot receiver, he won’t have to play outside with Rome Odunze and DJ Moore on the team. Get QB Caleb Williams all the tools he needs, and let him cook."
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears draft Luther Burden III: Experts hand out grades for Chicago
Continue reading...
