Bear Digest

Chicago Bears WR Luther Burden dubbed one of 2025 NFL Draft's biggest Day 2 steals

The Chicago Bears' 2025 NFL draft haul continues to get rave reviews, including their second-round selection of WR Luther Burden.
Bryan Perez|
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There are good picks in the NFL Draft, and then there are really good picks in the NFL Draft.

For the Chicago Bears, the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft may have produced one of those really good ones.

The Bears snagged Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III at No. 39 overall in what was a shocking pick for a couple of reasons. First, Burden was considered a top-10 prospect at the start of the 2024 college football season, and while his NFL draft stock took a big hit after his production regressed and concerns about his work ethic made their rounds, there was still an expectation he'd be a first-rounder. Second, Chicago wasn't viewed as a team that would invest a top-40 selection on a receiver, especially not after using the No. 9 pick on Rome Odunze last year. Sure, the roster didn't have a stud slot receiver, but Burden never felt like a realistic option.

Until he was.

With Burden in place, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson have a ridiculous abundance of riches at the skill positions. Odunze, DJ Moore, Burden, and first-round pick Colston Loveland will form a powerhouse passing attack that could finally see a Bears quarterback throw for more than 4,000 yards in one season.

And it's not just Bears fans who are all-in on Burden's potential impact in 2025. Pro Football Focus recently named him one of the biggest steals of the second round.

"After falling out of the first round, Burden hit the practice field for a late-night workout, putting his dedication to the game on full display," PFF wrote. "The No. 15 prospect on PFF's big board was drafted early in Round 2 — a sizable value for the Bears. Burden is a consistent separator, having generated a 94th-percentile separation rate over the past two seasons.

"Burden possesses first-round talent as an all-around threat in the receiving game with polished route-running ability, natural hands and explosive after-the-catch ability. Quarterback Caleb Williams now has another dynamic threat in the receiving game to pair with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze."

Did you catch that? Burden was a top-15 player on PFF's big board?

It's not hyperbole to say the Bears landed a high-first-round talent at wide receiver for the second year in a row. Just because Luther Burden III wasn't selected in the top 15 doesn't mean he doesn't have the talent to justify a top-15 pick. He does; in fact, Burden was viewed by most NFL draft analysts as the most explosive playmaker at the position in this year's class.

Indeed, Burden will begin his pro career with a massive chip on his shoulder. He thought he should've been a first-round pick, and it's hard to disagree. The Bears will benefit from that chip, too. Burden will be on a mission to prove that every team that passed on him in the first round made a horrendous mistake. And it'll be fun to watch.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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