Burden’s production fell off in 2024, but his tape still shows his obvious upside
Luther Burden enters the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the widest-range prospects at the wide receiver position — he can go in the top 15 or fall somewhere into Day 2. Several NFL teams are reportedly still gathering information on him, as recently as the Monday of the draft, in hopes of putting together the pieces of his profile. One undeniable thing is that Burden will bring an explosive element to any NFL offense he joins. At 6-foot and 206 pounds, Burden is every bit as fast as his times 4.42 speed. It’s his lateral explosion and the flashes getting in and out of his breaks that really have some NFL evaluators excited about his future.
Burden’s production fell off in 2024, but he put up big-time production in 2023 and earned the following 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
The big question with Burden will be whether or not he can play on the outside as a boundary wide receiver against NFL cornerbacks — specifically against press-man coverage. Burden had touches manufactured for him out of the slot and in motion during each of the last two seasons at Missouri. That doesn’t mean he can’t make a Fantasy Football impact immediately. If an NFL team has an opening as their slot receiver in 2025, Burden can fit right in.
Burden has drawn comparisons to Deebo Samuel because of his play strength and incredible contact balance that allows him to break tackles after first contact. He can also force missed tackles with their ability to cut laterally and make defenders miss in a phone booth. He’s an exciting fit on the right team. Speaking of best NFL fits, here are my favorites:
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have an immediate need for an underneath explosive element in their offense and Burden pairs nicely with George Pickens’ skill set as a boundary X receiver. Target volume upside will be greater here than most other destinations and that’s especially true if Arthur Smith can work in manufactured touches in both the pass and run game for Burden.
Denver Broncos
Matching Burden with an offensive mind like Sean Payton is exciting to think about from a Fantasy standpoint. The Broncos have a prospective quarterback breakout in second-year starter Bo Nix, a joker role on the offense needed to compliment Courtland Sutton and I can already envision Payton using Burden in the run game and as a red zone weapon.
San Francisco 49ers
What better way to replace what the 49ers lost in Samuel than with the closest player in this draft class to Samuel? The 49ers could be looking to move on from Bradon Aiyuk in their future which would open up more volume, but head coach Kyle Shanahan won’t need that as motivation to utilize Burden as an offensive weapon right away.
For more details on Burden including a full scouting report, stats, and more — check out his draft profile.
