Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III is among the most divisive prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. A creative pass-catcher in the open field, Burden is flexible and twitchy with a higher upside than displayed. The St. Louis native recorded a modest 61 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns during the 2024 season. It represented a massive step backward from his 1,212-yard campaign in 2023.
NFL evaluators are tasked with sorting through why Burden failed to meet expectations and how (or if) that impacts his draft stock throughout this process. By all accounts, Burden is still well-positioned to be drafted during the first round of April's festivities.
We've identified three potential fits for Burden in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering the offseason with massive question marks all over their offense. It starts at quarterback, with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on expiring contracts. Will Wilson have a market in free agency? Even running back Najee Harris is scheduled for free agency and may not re-sign in Pittsburgh.
At wide receiver, returning offensive coordinator Arthur Smith needs weapons to play opposite George Pickens. General manager Omar Khan acquired Mike Williams at the trade deadline, but it hardly moved the needle forward. The Steelers need more from Roman Wilson in 2025, but adding another Z or flanker receiver to play a versatile inside-outside role while Pickens dominates the boundary is imperative. Whoever the 2025 quarterback is will need a better surrounding cast.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos accelerated their rebuild by hitting big on quarterback Bo Nix. The Broncos qualified for the postseason in a competitive AFC West, but their blowout defeat to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round proved they remain in the early stages of establishing their competitive window.
Nix was effective as a dual-threat quarterback. Head coach Sean Payton is surely encouraged, and focus now shifts to surrounding him with the best supporting cast imaginable. With so many dominant defensive pieces already in place, the Broncos can use the majority of their offseason capital on the offensive side of the ball. Courtland Sutton isn't getting younger at receiver. Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele are useful weapons moving forward, but Burden would add a security blanket for Nix, who loves throwing the ball underneath the coverage.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams plan to trade Cooper Kupp this offseason. They simply can’t stomach his scheduled $29.7 million cap hit. When Kupp’s departure is officially finalized, his absence will create a huge hole in Sean McVay’s passing offense.
The aging Demarcus Robinson is a pending free agent. The excellent Puka Nacua is essentially the last man standing in McVay's wide receiver room. Adding young weapons to support Nacua is of the utmost importance this offseason. Veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is allegedly displeased with Kupp's pending departure. Rumors have even swirled regarding Stafford's potential availability in a trade. Drafting a QB-friendly target like Burden could help McVay start rebuilding his wide receiver corps.
