Bear Digest

Bears have high hopes for the electrifying WR Luther Burden III

But first, Burden needs to make up ground and have a strong training camp
Kirsten Tanis|
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III smiles during the Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III smiles during the Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

When Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles watched Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III slide into the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, he hoped Burden would still be there at pick 39.

His wish came true.

While the Bears were expected to draft a running back early in the second round, it was the dynamic and elusive Burden whose name was called. The best player available on the board was a fantastic fit for a Bears offense looking to drastically improve upon its 11.1% explosive pass play percentage in 2024, tied for third-worst in the NFL.

Burden rounds out the arsenal of receivers that Bears head coach Ben Johnson will deploy in transforming the Bears' passing attack. With the tenth pick, Poles also drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, who is highly regarded for his elite separation and route-running skills.

Together, Burden and Loveland join veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore, veteran tight end Cole Kmet, and second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze as the five main targets for quarterback Caleb Williams this season.

Just twenty-one years old, Burden's ability to make defenders miss and gobble up yards is elite. During his three seasons with the Tigers, he recorded 2,263 receiving yards, 234 rushing yards, and 25 combined touchdowns.

A projected first-round pick after a stellar 2023, Burden's production fell off in 2024 in part due to catching passes from an injured quarterback, which impacted when he was drafted.

What remained consistent, though, was his fiery competitiveness, strong work ethic, explosive attributes, and high ceiling. Or, as Johnson simply summarized it, he's a "stud".

If you watch his film, there's no denying that Burden is electric. His elusiveness and yards after the catch ability are outstanding. He can line up and catch or even carry the ball from anywhere on the field. He had several carries out of the backfield for touchdowns with the Tigers.

While known for his big playmaking ability primarily out of the slot, Burden is not just a 'gadget guy' as some analysts have labelled him. Matt Waldman, Footballguys senior staff writer, busted this myth in his recent article.

"Luther Burden is a far more complete route runner than characterized, and his speed will translate to the vertical game. Burden demonstrated position-specific techniques and concepts on film that some data analysts couldn't quantify due to sample size, but these skills led to route success beyond the gadget game.

  • He repeatedly beats cornerbacks aligned at the line of scrimmage on vertical routes. 
  • He stacks (cuts off their paths to control the route) defenders early or late in routes.
  • He uses effective changes in pacing and takes angles to enforce a defender's position to set up breaks. 
  • He uses his head and eyes at the top of routes to bait defenders playing over the top. 
  • His breaks are tight, sharp, and have the snap to gain angles of separation that defenders can't cut off.  
  • He can drop his weight into breaks against tight coverage, and it leads to effective separation."

All of this is just what the doctor ordered for Johnson, whose innovative, high-powered offense runs on a steady stream of explosive plays. Johnson can utilize Burden in any number of ways, which will be hard to predict by defenses. He can feature him on more than gadget or trick plays because he possesses the advanced skills to potentially become a top pass-catcher in the NFL.

My prediction is that Johnson will utilize Burden like a high-end Swiss Army Knife. Much like he got the most out of Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs by featuring him in both the running and passing game and lining him up all over the field, I believe Johnson will do the same with Burden, but from the opposite direction. He will deploy him on many different routes, both from the slot and outside. And he will use him strategically in the running game to keep defenses off-kilter.

That's how Bears fans can look forward to seeing many more images like the one below, captured last fall when the Tigers faced off against Boston College. If I were to title it, it would simply be "Luther Burden III ─ Ankle Breaker."

Bears fans have much to look forward to from Burden in his rookie season. But before that can happen, he has a lot of catching up to do during Training Camp.

Unfortunately, when getting his feet wet during Rookie Minicamp, Burden suffered a soft-tissue injury. He missed valuable on-field reps during OTAs, which coincided with the first phases of the new Bears offense install. Johnson spoke at the time about how missing those reps can hinder a rookie's development.

It's also noteworthy that Burden, like thirty other second-round draft picks across the NFL, still hasn't signed his rookie contract. These players are being advised by their agents to holdout for fully guaranteed contracts, now that both the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans set a new precedent and granted it for the first time ever to their second-round picks selected at 33 and 34.

There is no clarity when other second-round picks will sign their contracts, as front offices and players haven't yet budged from their positions. Many are waiting until they see what the player(s) selected above them and their respective team(s) do.

Hopefully, for both Burden's and the Bears' sake, this contract situation will resolve quickly and he will fully participate in Training Camp. He needs every rep he can get to best position himself to make an impact in Week 1 and beyond. Otherwise, Bears fans may need to wait a little longer to witness firsthand in a game just how electric Luther Burden III can be.

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Kirsten Tanis
KIRSTEN TANIS

Kirsten Tanis has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2023 with balanced, insightful and well-researched analysis. A lifelong avid sports fan, she is most passionate about NFL Football and believes flea flickers are underrated. She lives with her husband, 3 kids and cats.

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