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The Chicago Bears got a steal in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the selection of Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III with the 39th overall pick. Burden is yet another playmaker for new head coach Ben Johnson's offense.
New head coach Ben Johnson continued 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 what some expert draft analysts had to say about Burden during the pre-draft process and what Bears fans can expect to see:
"A three-year starter at Missouri, Burden was predominantly a slot receiver in offensive coordinator Kirby Moore’s motion-heavy scheme (85.3 percent of his 2024 snaps came in the slot). With only one 100-yard receiving performance in 2024, he wasn’t able to build on his All-America sophomore season as the entire Missouri offense struggled, but there were enough flashes to tease his high-level talent.
With his run-after-catch skills, Burden saw a high volume of quick-hitters and crossers, which showcased his any-direction burst and physicality to give defenders the shake. His route running is best described as a “work in progress” right now, but he appears unfazed when forced to flip his body and track/adjust to errant throws. Overall, Burden is still working on his undergrad degree in route setup and separation, but he holds a master’s in creating with the ball in his hands, because of his explosive speed and competitive toughness. For an NFL team targeting a YAC weapon with upside to be more, he will be an appealing option early."
"Burden is a quick, athletic slot receiver. He received a lot of quick hitters in Missouri’s offense. He excels on underneath option routes that allow him to combine his feel to create space and his suddenness to generate yards after the catch. He has outstanding body control, giving him the ability to contort and haul in poorly thrown balls. He is at his best with the ball in his hands. He can stop/start in a hurry and possesses the agility to make defenders miss in tight quarters. He has more to offer once he gets to the next level. When given the opportunity to work down the field, he can tap into another gear and track the ball smoothly. Overall, Burden is a fun player to study and reminds me of Stefon Diggs coming out of college."
"Former five-star recruit who offers five-star athleticism and playmaking ability. Burden is a natural on the field with above-average speed and exciting ball skills to win at a high rate. He takes snaps off and short-circuits routes if he’s not the primary option, but he can separate and succeed on all three levels when it’s his time. Missouri exploited Burden’s yards-after-catch talent with a barrage of short throws, but NFL teams are much more likely to diversify his usage, activating his complete skill set and big-play potential. The production against top teams was uneven at times but so was Missouri’s quarterback play. Burden checks several priority boxes that typically foreshadow an impressive NFL career."
"Luther Burden III entered the 2024 season as one of the best receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. In 2024, the entire Missouri offense appeared to take a step back and this impacted Burden's overall production and effectiveness. Overall, Burden has still shown that he is the type of prospect that coaches should make an intentional effort to get the football to as often as possible in many situations. On most plays, Burden aligns as a slot receiver but he can align as an outside receiver, in the slot, or will even align in the backfield, serving as a chess piece who is put in positions to be a mismatch. Burden has many natural receiver traits such as ball tracking, natural hands, short-area quickness, and an understanding of how to uncover from defenders, especially against zone defense.
Aligning primarily in the slot, Burden has multiple releases where he can quickly get into his route and instantly create separation, or he can tempo his route and take his time to manipulate defenders and effectively run option routes in the middle of the field. Working vertically, Burden has the burst to get vertical and works to separate from defenders. In situations where Burden doesn't separate, he has shown to have the aggressive nature to elevate and go get the football at its highest point. Burden is comfortable in contested situations, showing body control, ball tracking, and a wide catch radius to make spectacular catches look like routine plays.
After the catch, Burden turns into a playmaker and can pick up significant yardage. Burden has the short-area quickness, start/stop ability, and burst to get past defenders and convert short throws into big plays. Defenses should always be aware of Burden because of the volume of targets he receives combined with his ability to make big plays all over the field and his ability to score from anywhere.
The biggest question mark for Burden as a prospect is his ability to align as a traditional outside receiver against press-man and consistently win. Burden has good athletic traits but defenders have an opportunity to slow him down if he is put in a condensed space like playing the outside receiver. Corners who are high-level athletes and are technically sound can disrupt his ability to effectively run routes and catch passes.
Overall, Burden is a natural playmaker who can be an intentional part of a team’s game plan because of his ability to make big-time plays and flashes that he can develop into being a team's No. 1 receiving option."
"Burden is a true all-around athlete with adequate height and weight. He is also agile and explosive yet powerful and balanced. He has experience and success on and off the line of scrimmage as an X, flanker and slot receiver, and he is often used as a "move" receiver before the snap. His first-step explosiveness is impressive, allowing him to win quickly against press. He also has the body control, flexibility and explosiveness to be a sharp athletic route runner for high separation scores. His hands are generally reliable and strong, evidenced by high catchable pass testing, strengths/weaknesses and percentages and a contested catch percentage above 50% two years in a row. Despite a dense build, he has some reps where he struggles as a blocker. When the ball gets in his hands, he becomes a running back with good vision and contact balance for high YAC averages. His low production in 2024 seemed to be more of a product of secondaries keying on him with double/tight/cap coverage instead of anything on his end."
"Luther Burden III is a dynamic playmaking slot receiver who needs the football. Whether down the field or in the quick passing game, get Burden involved. Burden excels working out of the slot, which gives him a two-way go to get into his route. He effectively handles "gadget" or manufactured touch plays in space. Burden's alignment versatility opens up the playbook to create mismatches and advantageous matchups. He has aligned in the backfield at running back, in bunch and stacked sets.
Burden is great after the catch due to his play strength, contact balance, and body control. He is a tackle-breaking machine who runs through arm tackle attempts routinely. Burden has an explosive and dynamic burst/acceleration to generate chunk plays after the catch. He brings enough straight-line speed to win on slot fades down the field. Burden's experience as a punt returner shows up on offense. When the ball is in his hands, he weaves in and out of traffic, evading pursuing defenders. Surprisingly, Burden wins in contested catch situations due to his innate play strength and ultra-competitive drive.
However, Burden's frame and wingspan are not great. This can present challenges to win at the catch point against longer NFL cornerbacks. Due to his slot-heavy alignment, Burden does not face much press alight or jam technique. Another potential challenge at the next level is teams playing more two-high coverages. Burden will need to handle more physical coverage when presented with it and have answers with his release package and route running abilities. Throughout his career, concentration drops have been a concern. So far, so good this season, but it is worth watching. As a result of Missouri's offense creating advantageous opportunities for him, Burden's route-running and route-tree are not as robust as other wide receiver prospects.
Overall, Luther Burden III is an explosive and dynamic run-after-catch threat. He should be able to carve out a similar role early in his NFL career. Burden has room to grow and elevate his game as a pro. He will benefit from being linked to a creative offensive coordinator who will utilize his full skill set to help the offense. The best way to implement Burden into the offensive system is to get him involved in the passing game from multiple alignments with pre-snap motion."
"Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III is an electric weapon with the football in his hands. He was among the nation’s leaders in run-after-catch yardage during the 2023 season, which was his peak with the Tigers program.
Burden is primarily a slot receiver who will need added development to win and be featured on the outside. However, his ball skills and explosiveness make him a desirable addition who can win underneath and help generate explosives after the catch.
If he lands in an offense with various weapons, he can be a killer counterpunch to a defense’s efforts to take away featured players. I think Burden can, in time, become a featured weapon himself — but a number of the roles Missouri charged him with to manufacture touches leave him with ample room to grow into that kind of volume in an NFL passing game."
"Burden has a compact, muscular build and brings runaway speed and top-tier burst to the receiver position. A three-year starter for the Tigers, he’s a slick route runner who uses head fakes and shoulder leans to set up routes and separate. He’s excellent on back-shoulder throws deep down the field, showing a knack for creating space to reel it in at the last second. Running primarily out of the slot, he’s tough to defend on slot fades and deep crossing routes, and he tracks the ball over his shoulder beautifully. He’s an explosive stop-start accelerator and is frequently used on sweeps, screens, and quick passes to maximize his run-after-the-catch and tackle-breaking talent (he tallied 30 missed tackles forced last year, most among FBS receivers, per PFF). He destroys pursuit angles, and once he’s in space, he’s tough to catch. Burden is not consistently strong enough in contested catch situations and needs to do a better job of playing through contact. He may be viewed as only a slot receiver and was schemed up a lot of touches in college. His numbers dropped precipitously after 2023, as Missouri’s offense faltered in 2024."
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 2025 NFL draft: What experts said about new Bears WR Luther Burden III
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New head coach Ben Johnson continued 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 what some expert draft analysts had to say about Burden during the pre-draft process and what Bears fans can expect to see:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
"A three-year starter at Missouri, Burden was predominantly a slot receiver in offensive coordinator Kirby Moore’s motion-heavy scheme (85.3 percent of his 2024 snaps came in the slot). With only one 100-yard receiving performance in 2024, he wasn’t able to build on his All-America sophomore season as the entire Missouri offense struggled, but there were enough flashes to tease his high-level talent.
With his run-after-catch skills, Burden saw a high volume of quick-hitters and crossers, which showcased his any-direction burst and physicality to give defenders the shake. His route running is best described as a “work in progress” right now, but he appears unfazed when forced to flip his body and track/adjust to errant throws. Overall, Burden is still working on his undergrad degree in route setup and separation, but he holds a master’s in creating with the ball in his hands, because of his explosive speed and competitive toughness. For an NFL team targeting a YAC weapon with upside to be more, he will be an appealing option early."
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
"Burden is a quick, athletic slot receiver. He received a lot of quick hitters in Missouri’s offense. He excels on underneath option routes that allow him to combine his feel to create space and his suddenness to generate yards after the catch. He has outstanding body control, giving him the ability to contort and haul in poorly thrown balls. He is at his best with the ball in his hands. He can stop/start in a hurry and possesses the agility to make defenders miss in tight quarters. He has more to offer once he gets to the next level. When given the opportunity to work down the field, he can tap into another gear and track the ball smoothly. Overall, Burden is a fun player to study and reminds me of Stefon Diggs coming out of college."
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Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
"Former five-star recruit who offers five-star athleticism and playmaking ability. Burden is a natural on the field with above-average speed and exciting ball skills to win at a high rate. He takes snaps off and short-circuits routes if he’s not the primary option, but he can separate and succeed on all three levels when it’s his time. Missouri exploited Burden’s yards-after-catch talent with a barrage of short throws, but NFL teams are much more likely to diversify his usage, activating his complete skill set and big-play potential. The production against top teams was uneven at times but so was Missouri’s quarterback play. Burden checks several priority boxes that typically foreshadow an impressive NFL career."
The Draft Network
"Luther Burden III entered the 2024 season as one of the best receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. In 2024, the entire Missouri offense appeared to take a step back and this impacted Burden's overall production and effectiveness. Overall, Burden has still shown that he is the type of prospect that coaches should make an intentional effort to get the football to as often as possible in many situations. On most plays, Burden aligns as a slot receiver but he can align as an outside receiver, in the slot, or will even align in the backfield, serving as a chess piece who is put in positions to be a mismatch. Burden has many natural receiver traits such as ball tracking, natural hands, short-area quickness, and an understanding of how to uncover from defenders, especially against zone defense.
Aligning primarily in the slot, Burden has multiple releases where he can quickly get into his route and instantly create separation, or he can tempo his route and take his time to manipulate defenders and effectively run option routes in the middle of the field. Working vertically, Burden has the burst to get vertical and works to separate from defenders. In situations where Burden doesn't separate, he has shown to have the aggressive nature to elevate and go get the football at its highest point. Burden is comfortable in contested situations, showing body control, ball tracking, and a wide catch radius to make spectacular catches look like routine plays.
After the catch, Burden turns into a playmaker and can pick up significant yardage. Burden has the short-area quickness, start/stop ability, and burst to get past defenders and convert short throws into big plays. Defenses should always be aware of Burden because of the volume of targets he receives combined with his ability to make big plays all over the field and his ability to score from anywhere.
The biggest question mark for Burden as a prospect is his ability to align as a traditional outside receiver against press-man and consistently win. Burden has good athletic traits but defenders have an opportunity to slow him down if he is put in a condensed space like playing the outside receiver. Corners who are high-level athletes and are technically sound can disrupt his ability to effectively run routes and catch passes.
Overall, Burden is a natural playmaker who can be an intentional part of a team’s game plan because of his ability to make big-time plays and flashes that he can develop into being a team's No. 1 receiving option."
Pro Football Focus
"Burden is a true all-around athlete with adequate height and weight. He is also agile and explosive yet powerful and balanced. He has experience and success on and off the line of scrimmage as an X, flanker and slot receiver, and he is often used as a "move" receiver before the snap. His first-step explosiveness is impressive, allowing him to win quickly against press. He also has the body control, flexibility and explosiveness to be a sharp athletic route runner for high separation scores. His hands are generally reliable and strong, evidenced by high catchable pass testing, strengths/weaknesses and percentages and a contested catch percentage above 50% two years in a row. Despite a dense build, he has some reps where he struggles as a blocker. When the ball gets in his hands, he becomes a running back with good vision and contact balance for high YAC averages. His low production in 2024 seemed to be more of a product of secondaries keying on him with double/tight/cap coverage instead of anything on his end."
Bleacher Report Scouting Department
"Luther Burden III is a dynamic playmaking slot receiver who needs the football. Whether down the field or in the quick passing game, get Burden involved. Burden excels working out of the slot, which gives him a two-way go to get into his route. He effectively handles "gadget" or manufactured touch plays in space. Burden's alignment versatility opens up the playbook to create mismatches and advantageous matchups. He has aligned in the backfield at running back, in bunch and stacked sets.
Burden is great after the catch due to his play strength, contact balance, and body control. He is a tackle-breaking machine who runs through arm tackle attempts routinely. Burden has an explosive and dynamic burst/acceleration to generate chunk plays after the catch. He brings enough straight-line speed to win on slot fades down the field. Burden's experience as a punt returner shows up on offense. When the ball is in his hands, he weaves in and out of traffic, evading pursuing defenders. Surprisingly, Burden wins in contested catch situations due to his innate play strength and ultra-competitive drive.
However, Burden's frame and wingspan are not great. This can present challenges to win at the catch point against longer NFL cornerbacks. Due to his slot-heavy alignment, Burden does not face much press alight or jam technique. Another potential challenge at the next level is teams playing more two-high coverages. Burden will need to handle more physical coverage when presented with it and have answers with his release package and route running abilities. Throughout his career, concentration drops have been a concern. So far, so good this season, but it is worth watching. As a result of Missouri's offense creating advantageous opportunities for him, Burden's route-running and route-tree are not as robust as other wide receiver prospects.
Overall, Luther Burden III is an explosive and dynamic run-after-catch threat. He should be able to carve out a similar role early in his NFL career. Burden has room to grow and elevate his game as a pro. He will benefit from being linked to a creative offensive coordinator who will utilize his full skill set to help the offense. The best way to implement Burden into the offensive system is to get him involved in the passing game from multiple alignments with pre-snap motion."
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Kyle Crabbs, 33rd Team
"Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III is an electric weapon with the football in his hands. He was among the nation’s leaders in run-after-catch yardage during the 2023 season, which was his peak with the Tigers program.
Burden is primarily a slot receiver who will need added development to win and be featured on the outside. However, his ball skills and explosiveness make him a desirable addition who can win underneath and help generate explosives after the catch.
If he lands in an offense with various weapons, he can be a killer counterpunch to a defense’s efforts to take away featured players. I think Burden can, in time, become a featured weapon himself — but a number of the roles Missouri charged him with to manufacture touches leave him with ample room to grow into that kind of volume in an NFL passing game."
Danny Kelly, The Ringer
"Burden has a compact, muscular build and brings runaway speed and top-tier burst to the receiver position. A three-year starter for the Tigers, he’s a slick route runner who uses head fakes and shoulder leans to set up routes and separate. He’s excellent on back-shoulder throws deep down the field, showing a knack for creating space to reel it in at the last second. Running primarily out of the slot, he’s tough to defend on slot fades and deep crossing routes, and he tracks the ball over his shoulder beautifully. He’s an explosive stop-start accelerator and is frequently used on sweeps, screens, and quick passes to maximize his run-after-the-catch and tackle-breaking talent (he tallied 30 missed tackles forced last year, most among FBS receivers, per PFF). He destroys pursuit angles, and once he’s in space, he’s tough to catch. Burden is not consistently strong enough in contested catch situations and needs to do a better job of playing through contact. He may be viewed as only a slot receiver and was schemed up a lot of touches in college. His numbers dropped precipitously after 2023, as Missouri’s offense faltered in 2024."
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 2025 NFL draft: What experts said about new Bears WR Luther Burden III
Continue reading...
