With the 2025 NFL Draft starting less than a month away, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III might not be the first round pick he's been anticipating all season.
Luke Easterling, Athlon's NFL Draft guru, most recently had Burden landing in the second round at pick No. 34 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
"There's no denying Burden is an explosive playmaker who can take any touch and turn it into a long touchdown," Easterling wrote in a profile of Burden III last month. "...but there are questions about his size, skill set, and alignment usage that could require a specific set of circumstances for him to reach his lofty potential at the next level."
In his January three-round mock draft, Easterling had Burden going 9th overall to the New Orleans Saints.
While the latest projections aren't very promising, Mizzou coach Eliah Drinkwitz had high praise for his three-year wideout.
"If you're a program that hasn't been to the NFL playoffs, and you're trying to rebuild, this guy's already done this at the University of Missouri," Drinkwitz said of Burden on a recent episode of the UpAndAdams Show.
After an impressive 2023 campaign, tallying 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, Burden was seen as one of the most promising wide receivers returning to college football.
In 2024, the production wasn't the same. Mizzou's offense took a massive step back due to inconsistent offensive line play and injuries to quarterback Brady Cook. Over the season, Burden racked up 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
The lack of consistency from Mizzou this season, likely led to Burden's low numbers, and ultimately the plummeting of his draft stock. Drinkwitz believes the NFL Coaches should look beyond the lackluster 2024 campaign.
"Touchdown Luther" is the next Deebo Samuel?
Coach Eli Drinkwitz tells NFL coaches and executives to not be fooled by stats on Twitter (X) and study the tape when evaluating Mizzou's WR Luther Burden III @heykayadams | @lutherburden3 | @MizzouFootball | @CoachDrinkwitzpic.twitter.com/XahS5CfIuo
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) March 20, 2025
"Don't be fooled by his stats. Do your job, look into the research... There wasn't any drop-off from him from a performance ability," Drinkwitz said.
After being a top 15 prospect in January, the East St. Louis product has fallen to the very end of the first round per nflmockdraftdatabase.com. Burden's spot in the draft could be anywhere from 10-40, but for now, all we can do is wait.
The NFL Draft is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 10:08 AM.