Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Size:
Height: 6000
Weight: 206
Arm: 31 ¼”
Hand: 8 ½”
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-America (2023) • First-Team All-SEC (2023)
“Luther Burden III is a dominant primarily slot receiver that can make big plays vertically down the field or take short passes and convert them into big-time plays.”
Strengths:
Ball tracking and contested catches
Elusiveness in the open field
Instincts
Concerns:
Speed to separate vertically
Detailed route-running
Most effective as a slot receiver
Can he be alignment-versatile?
Film Analysis:
Luther Burden III entered the 2024 season as one of the best receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. In 2024, the entire Missouri offense appeared to take a step back and this impacted Burden's overall production and effectiveness. Overall, Burden has still shown that he is the type of prospect that coaches should make an intentional effort to get the football to as often as possible in many situations. On most plays, Burden aligns as a slot receiver but he can align as an outside receiver, in the slot, or will even align in the backfield, serving as a chess piece who is put in positions to be a mismatch. Burden has many natural receiver traits such as ball tracking, natural hands, short-area quickness, and an understanding of how to uncover from defenders, especially against zone defense.
Aligning primarily in the slot, Burden has multiple releases where he can quickly get into his route and instantly create separation, or he can tempo his route and take his time to manipulate defenders and effectively run option routes in the middle of the field. Working vertically, Burden has the burst to get vertical and works to separate from defenders. In situations where Burden doesn't separate, he has shown to have the aggressive nature to elevate and go get the football at its highest point. Burden is comfortable in contested situations, showing body control, ball tracking, and a wide catch radius to make spectacular catches look like routine plays.
After the catch, Burden turns into a playmaker and can pick up significant yardage. Burden has the short-area quickness, start/stop ability, and burst to get past defenders and convert short throws into big plays. Defenses should always be aware of Burden because of the volume of targets he receives combined with his ability to make big plays all over the field and his ability to score from anywhere.
The biggest question mark for Burden as a prospect is his ability to align as a traditional outside receiver against press-man and consistently win. Burden has good athletic traits but defenders have an opportunity to slow him down if he is put in a condensed space like playing the outside receiver. Corners who are high-level athletes and are technically sound can disrupt his ability to effectively run routes and catch passes.
Overall, Burden is a natural playmaker who can be an intentional part of a team’s game plan because of his ability to make big-time plays and flashes that he can develop into being a team's No. 1 receiving option.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Winning Starter
Written By: Keith Sanchez
Exposures: Boston College (2024), Texas A&M (2024), Alabama (2024), South Carolina (2024), LSU (2023), Georgia (2023), Tennessee (2023), Florida (2023)
