2025 NFL Draft Profile: Missouri Wide Receiver Luther Burden III

Before Luther Burden III even stepped foot on campus, the expectation was that the wide receiver would only spend three years with the Missouri Tigers before declaring for the NFL draft to become a first-round draft pick.

After being a significant part of a turnaround for the program, the time has now come for the East St. Louis product to make the jump to a career he seemed destined for since early in his high school career.

Burden declared for the NFL draft just days after Missouri's 2024 regular season finished.

Ahead of his junior season, the consensus on Burden was that he could be selected in the first 15 selections. A mock draft from Pro Football Focus in September of 2024 even slotted him in to be the first-overall pick.

But after a season with a statistical drop off, impressive seasons from other wide receivers, and alleged character concerns, Burden is now projected to be selected late in the first round, or even as late as the second round.

READ: Eli Drinkwitz Defends Luther Burden Over Alleged Pre-Draft Character Concerns

So, how much stock should be put into the decrease in production? What makes him worth a first-round selection? Here's a look at Burden's resume, measurable and NFL projections.

Player Info

DOB: Dec. 12, 2003
Hometown: St. Louis
High School: East St. Louis High School
Recruiting Class: 2022
Recruiting Rating: Consensus five-star

NFL Team Visits

• Denver Broncos (per Mike Klis)
• Dallas Cowboys (per Aaron Wilson)
• Las Vegas Raiders (per Tristen Kuhn)
• Tennessee Titans (per Easton Freeze)

Evaluation

Burden proved to live up to the expectations for him out of high school, earning First-team All-SEC honors in both 2023 and 2024. He was also named to the Associated Press' All-American Second-team in 2023.

In his true freshmen season, Burden hadn't fully grown into his role, mainly taking snaps on the boundary while Dominic Lovett handled the slot role. Burden still caught 45 passes for 375 yards and a team-leading six receiving touchdowns. He also was involved on creative rush plays, taking 18 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns.

Missouri Tigers receiver Luther Burden III (3) tilts his head in disappointment after an overthrown pass. — Aug 29, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers receiver Luther Burden III (3) tilts his head in disappointment after an overthrown pass against the Murray State Racers at Faurot Field. | Matt Guzman-Missouri Tigers On SI

The introduction of offensive coordinator Kirby Moore to Missouri in 2023 also led to the introduction of a new role for Burden in his sophomore season, shifting primarily to the slot. This shift to the inside allowed Burden to show off his skills after the catch, going from an average of 1.22 yards after the catch per reception in 2022, to 8.4 in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus.

His 1,212 receiving yards in 2023 were the ninth-most in the nation, and the third-most in the conference.

The 2023 season is the best tape to look at for what Burden offers to a NFL team. He's at his best when opportunities are created for him to joystick his way around defenses.

"They're gonna get a playmaker," Missouri quarterback Brady Cook said at the Combine on what Burden would bring to a NFL team. "Someone who can change the game when he has the ball in his hands. That’s Luther's thing, he’s the superstar. Get him the ball, he’s gonna make special things happen."

For 2024, a simple glance at the stat sheet shows a significant falloff in production for Burden in his final season. He caught 61 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns.

However, the box score never tells the full story. Missouri's offense as a whole dealt with inconsistency and injuries at the quarterback position that hampered Burden's production.

"I'm pretty much a game plan for every team I face," Burden said at the Combine. "It's not gonna be easy getting me the ball. So, I knew that going into the game."

Luther Burden III on vertical targets pic.twitter.com/txDKAxVtMp
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 2, 2025

NFL Combine/Workout Details

Height: 6000
Weight: 206
Hand: 848
Arms: 3128
Wingspan: 7648
40-yard dash: 4.41
10-yard split: 1.54
Vertical: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
Bench Press: DNP

What The Experts Say

Mock Draft

In a mock draft posted by Chris Trapassoto CBS Sports on March 26, Burden was projected to be selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with pick No. 32.

"Burden is clearly talented, and he's young," Trapassoto writes. "The Eagles don't have a drastic need at receiver, so Burden can slowly work his way into a prominent role in Philadelphia."

Projection

As the draft inches closer, more analysts have Burden falling out of the first round. However, there are a number of teams in the back half of the first round in need of a wide receiver, such as the Seattle Seahawks at pick 18, the Denver Broncos at pick 20, the Green Bay Packers at pick 23, or the Houston Texans at pick 25.

Otherwise, expect Burden to be selected early in Round 2.

The Last Word

"A lot of doubt is out here, so I wanna prove everybody wrong. ... That's just my mentality."
Burden at the Combine

This story will be updated as the 2025 NFL Draft draws closer.

Missouri 2025 NFL draft Profiles:

OL Armand Membou
QB Brady Cook
WR Theo Wease Jr.