Missouri Tigers star Luther Burden III ranked in the top 5 of all 2025 NFL Draft big boards when it comes to wide receiver position and its due to his explosiveness with the ball in his hand.
While all eyes will be on Tetairoa McMillan, any team looking for a playmaker on offense must have their eye on Burden III. Although his overall PFF grade dipped from 88.8 to 77.9 from 2023 to 2024, the exciting Missouri star still demonstrated the type of dynamic playmaking that made him the most anticipated wide receiver to watch heading into the 2024 college football season.
Luther Burden III is a big play waiting to happen
With 61 receptions for 676 yards and 6 touchdowns, it wasn’t the type of season Burden had in 2023 when he hauled in 86 receptions for 1,212 yards, but he did show flashes of his elite yards-after-the catch ability and even what he can do off the jet seep. Check out this exhilarating highlight below:
Luther Burden III made it look easy 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/T2jXKerBTd
— ESPN (@espn) October 12, 2024
This one highlight is one of the reasons NFL.Com’s Bucky Brooks has Burden III as the No. 2 wide receiver on his top prospects by position list.
Brooks writes:
“Luther Burden III is a dynamic playmaker with explosive skills as a catch-and-run specialist. The Missouri standout can create explosive gains from the outside or slot on various quick-rhythm plays (and sweeps) that enable him to showcase his outstanding balance, body control and burst as a runner in the open field. Isaiah Bond is a chain mover with a polished game that fits any scheme. The Texas/Alabama product can win with speed or skill as a dynamic route runner with soft hands and explosive short-area burst.”
More on Luther Burden III at NFL Mocks:
At 5-foot-11, 208 pounds, Burden III is on the shorter side, but he does have a Deebo Samuel type of power when he hits the open field, meaning he’s a player who plays bigger than he is. Along with his speed, acceleration and burst, Burden III can block in the run game. He also showcases an ability to play in multiple schemes.
Though Burden III should go anywhere from the middle of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft or even early late-round, he is a player every team would love to have on their team because of his ability to make big plays from anywhere on the field. NFL teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be perfect destinations for this 2025 NFL Draft prospect.