Luther Burden III NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Missouri WR

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 205

POSITIVES

— Dynamic playmaker who excels with the football in space.

— Special teams value as a punt returner

— Generates big plays with post-catch burst and acceleration.

— Alignment versatile offers creative play-calling possibilities.

— Excellent play strength, routinely breaking tackles.

NEGATIVES

— Slot-heavy usage, limited outside snaps since the start of 2023.

— Consistently having answers when facing press alignment.

— Having fewer concentration drops.

NOTES

— Born Dec. 12, 2003

— 5-star recruit in 2022 class, per 247Sports

— 2023 First-Team All-SEC; Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist

OVERALL

Luther Burden III is a dynamic playmaking slot receiver who needs the football. Whether down the field or in the quick passing game, get Burden involved.

Burden excels working out of the slot, which gives him a two-way go to get into his route. He effectively handles "gadget" or manufactured touch plays in space. Burden's alignment versatility opens up the playbook to create mismatches and advantageous matchups. He has aligned in the backfield at running back, in bunch and stacked sets.

Burden is great after the catch due to his play strength, contact balance, and body control. He is a tackle-breaking machine who runs through arm tackle attempts routinely. Burden has an explosive and dynamic burst/acceleration to generate chunk plays after the catch. He brings enough straight-line speed to win on slot fades down the field. Burden's experience as a punt returner shows up on offense. When the ball is in his hands, he weaves in and out of traffic, evading pursuing defenders. Surprisingly, Burden wins in contested catch situations due to his innate play strength and ultra-competitive drive.

However, Burden's frame and wingspan are not great. This can present challenges to win at the catch point against longer NFL cornerbacks. Due to his slot-heavy alignment, Burden does not face much press alight or jam technique. Another potential challenge at the next level is teams playing more two-high coverages. Burden will need to handle more physical coverage when presented with it and have answers with his release package and route running abilities. Throughout his career, concentration drops have been a concern. So far, so good this season, but it is worth watching. As a result of Missouri's offense creating advantageous opportunities for him, Burden's route-running and route-tree are not as robust as other wide receiver prospects.

Overall, Luther Burden III is an explosive and dynamic run-after-catch threat. He should be able to carve out a similar role early in his NFL career. Burden has room to grow and elevate his game as a pro. He will benefit from being linked to a creative offensive coordinator who will utilize his full skill set to help the offense. The best way to implement Burden into the offensive system is to get him involved in the passing game from multiple alignments with pre-snap motion.

GRADE: 7.9 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 29

POSITION RANK: WR5

PRO COMPARISON: Shades of Curtis Samuel & Randall Cobb

Written by B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson

Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.