Luther Burden III draft profile: Full scouting report, pro comparison and future outlook for top WR prospect

Luther Burden III enters the 2025 NFL Draft as a wide receiver prospect who has been on the radar of NFL general managers and front office decision-makers for a long time. Burden was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked wide receiver in the 2022 recruiting class. He also ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit at any position, behind just Travis Hunter and Walter Nolen in the 2022 recruiting class. As a former high school star in both football and basketball, Burden also received a slew of offers to play Division I basketball. Despite receiving offers from just about every top-ranked football program, Burden opted to stay close to home and play for Missouri. 

Burden racked up six receiving touchdowns, a punt return touchdown and a rushing touchdown as a true freshman in 2022, but he broke out during the 2023 season when he became the focal point of the Missouri offense. Despite dealing with questionable quarterback and offensive line play at times, Burden led the team in receiving as a sophomore with 1,212 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 86 receptions. His final season was a step back — just 61 receptions for 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns. This has taken some of the luster away from Burden’s draft stock.

However, at 6-foot and 206 pounds, Burden ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, which answered any questions about his ability to be a vertical threat at the NFL level. When it comes to Burden’s lateral agility and traits that allow him to be a menace after the catch, there are no questions at all, as he is one of the most explosive lateral movers in the class. Burden may need some of his touches manufactured early on in his NFL career after spending so much time in the slot at Missouri (60% of his snaps), but he’s a big-play waiting to happen. 

Luther Burden III NFL Draft profile

• Age as of Week 1: 22 years old
• Height: 6-foot
• Weight: 206 pounds
• Hand size: 8 ½ inches
• 40-yard dash time: 4.42 seconds
• Comparable body-type to: Tyler Johnson

CBS prospect ranking

Position: No. 2 WR | Overall: No. 14

Consensus big board ranking (via NFL Mock Draft Database): No. 35 (No. 4 WR)

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NFL comparison: Kadarius Toney

Burden reminds me in some ways of Kadarius Toney coming out of Florida in how they were used, traits that led to their success and projection entering the NFL. Like Toney, Burden had touches manufactured for him, specifically out of the slot. There are concerns about how he can translate to an NFL offense on the boundary as a split end or flanker. Whichever team drafts Burden should have a plan to get him involved as their slot early on while he learns to play as a boundary receiver.

Both Toney and Burden are strong with incredible contact balance that allows them to break tackles after first contact. They can also force missed tackles with their ability to cut laterally and make defenders miss in a phone booth. Burden has an edge over Toney in his ability to track the football on the vertical plane, but like Toney, he’ll need to refine his route running both at the top of his routes and with his release package off the line of scrimmage (specifically if he wants to play outside as a boundary receiver).Luther Burden scouting report

Accolades

• 2023-24: Two-time first-team All-SEC
• 2023: Ranked ninth in FBS in receiving yards (1,212) to go along with 86 catches and nine touchdowns

Strengths

• Legitimate post-catch speed to accelerate after the catch and cut off angles.
• Well-built at 206 pounds and his contact balance reminds of players like Toney and Alvin Kamara in his ability to not go down on first contact.
• Despite lining up in the slot on the majority of his snaps, Burden was the focal point of Missouri’s college scheme with a 27.95% target share.
• Above-average hands (despite the concentration drops that we’ll get to below) and has demonstrated on tape that he is capable of extending away from his frame and plucking the ball with his hands. 
• Stop-and-start ability is clear and evident with Burden able to accelerate into a second and third gear in space.
• Has above-average body control when adjusting to passes in the air.
• Despite limited snaps on the outside, Burden flashes the ability to stack and beat press on the vertical plane.
• Better-than-advertised tracking of the ball in the air on the vertical plane.
• Not only difficult to tackle in space, but he has a plan for every post-catch opportunity. Often times we’ll see Burden execute a spin move right after the catch, among other premeditated moves; Burden forced 30 missed tackles on 61 receptions in 2024 and 78 total in his career at Missouri.
• Upside as a special teams weapon given his success a punt returner at Missouri (he scored on a 78-yard punt return as a true freshman).
• Stronger at the catch point in contested-catch situations than given credit for. 
• Lined up in the backfield and can be a threat in a Deebo Samuel-esque way as a runner in addition to threatening defenses on jet sweeps and end-arounds. 
• Excellent ankle flexion and lower-body agility allow him to create yards after the catch for now but also showcases his upside as a route runner if he can refine his release package and how he runs his routes at the top of his stem.
• Durability is also a plus for Burden: He had zero missed games in his three-year career at Missouri.

Concerns

• A high percentage of Burden’s targets were quick hitters around the line of scrimmage and crossers out of the slot. He is still a work in progress when it comes to his route running both in his release package and at the top of his routes.
• Production plummeted in 2024, as he racked up just 10 total catches of 20-plus yards (110th in FBS).
• Doesn’t always appear engaged in what the offense is doing, specifically when the play is designed away from him.
• Has concentration drops on tape — and fumbles — that make you shake your head.
• Not a plus blocker but a high-effort one at times.
• Needs to improve in presenting a target for his quarterback when plays go off script and when he is working back on curls.
• Lack of production carried over to games against top competition in 2024.

Bottom line

Burden is a unique athlete because he has a dense build like a running back, but experience playing wide receiver and winning as a vertical route runner. He can create yards after first contact with his exceptional contact balance while also forcing missed tackles in space due to his elite lateral agility and stop-and-start acceleration. He hasn’t displayed the ability to be a complete boundary receiver at the collegiate level, so it’s difficult to project when that might happen in the NFL, but a team with a plan for him — similar to Kyle Shanahan’s plan for Deebo Samuel when he entered the NFL — can turn him into an immediate playmaker. 

What other draft experts say about Luther Burden III

Ryan Wilson: The numbers don’t blow you away (66 catches for 771 yards), but don’t be fooled; Luther Burden III is a first-round talent and game-changer with the ball in his hands. The quarterback play at Mizzou was inconsistent in 2024 because Brady Cook was injured for much of the season, but there’s a reason he had 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.

Mike Renner: Luther Burden III a YAC-monster who can create easy separation out of his breaks. He’s also got some extremely reliable hands with a drop rate under 5% in each of the past two seasons.

Josh Edwards: Luther Burden III is a quick receiver with a thick lower body that allows him to break tackles after the catch. The Missouri offense regressed in 2024, and Burden’s diminished statistics were a byproduct of that result. He is a difference maker at the position and will perform closer to his 2023 form when many were projecting him to be a top-10-overall-caliber selection.

Luther Burden III college stats

Luther Burden III 247Sports profile

High school: East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Illinois)
Class: 2022
Composite rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (98)

• National: 14 | WR: 2 | IL: 1 

Check out Luther Burden III’s full 247Sports profile, here.

The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24 to 26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including daily mock drafts, consensus prospect rankings, biggest team needs and more.