A St. Louis native, wide receiver Luther Burden III chose to stay in Missouri to play for the Tigers, despite receiving over a dozen offers from the who’s who of FBS programs after earning a five-star prep grade.
A top-10 prospect in the nation, Burden made 10 starts as a true freshman, accounting for nine total touchdowns in what proved to be a foreshadowing of his breakthrough sophomore campaign. The Tigers standout was good for 1,212 receiving yards and nine more combined scores in 2023, earning Second-team Associated Press All-American and First-team All-SEC honors.
Despite a dramatic statistical drop-off in 2024, Burden managed to once again garner First-team All-SEC recognition. He sat out of the Music City Bowl knowing the NFL awaited his explosive skill set, and he’s often forecasted to be chosen in the opening stanza of the upcoming draft.
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 206 pounds
40 time: 4.41 seconds
Table: WR Luther Burden III, Missouri (2022-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
- Dangerous in the open field due to a rare blend of twitchiness, vision, quick feet, and lateral agility
- Natural hands catcher with plus hand-eye coordination — attacks the ball aggressively
- Uniquely tough for his size
- Elite body control to make eye-opening adjustments
- Adept deep-ball tracking traits
- Fits most systems as a primary slot receiver
- Skilled operator at all levels — the vast majority of his targets came around the line of scrimmage by design, but he offers so much more than that
- Presents punt return value — productive as a freshman, including one return for a TD
- Top-level NFL WR upside
Cons
- Needs to play through the whistle more frequently when the ball isn’t coming his way
- A few careless drops on tape when in heavy traffic
- Occasionally gets “too cute” trying to dance his way for a few more yards
- Limited experience playing on the outside — may struggle with consistently getting off the line in the NFL if he’s playing as an X
- Offers little in the blocking game despite being known for his toughness
Fantasy football outlook
Burden doesn’t have a great NFL comparison, but a blend between Jeremy Maclin and Deebo Samuel is a fair way to view what he can do.
It will be surprising if he manages to slide too far out of Round 1, so we’ll focus on what is most likely rather than … burdening … you with low-probability speculation. The teams with a need and in reasonable position to choose Burden include Seattle (18th), Tampa Bay (19th), Denver (20th), Green Bay (23rd), Houston (25th), and Buffalo (30th).
Seattle, Denver and Houston should be the best bets if he goes in Round 1 with a trade up. Should he make it into Round 2, Burden is poised to go early to Cleveland, Tennessee, Las Vegas, New England, Chicago, or New Orleans — owner of the 41st pick, which is about as far as he’ll fall.
In fantasy, Burden will be at his best in a creative West Coast system. Sean McVay would be an ideal coach for his talents, although that seems like a long shot in Round 1. Burden’s rookie outlook ranges from WR4 depth to low-end No. 2 upside, but he has long-term WR1 potential written all over him.
