2 weeks Ago
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Luther Burden III is headed to Chicago The New Orleans Saints selected the former Missouri wide receiver in the 2025 NFL draft with the No. 39 pick, the seventh selection of Round 2.
Burden is the sixth receiver off the board in this year's draft. Burden felt slighted after not being selected in Round 1 Thursday night, posting a picture to his Instagram of him in Mizzou's indoor practice facility, along with a caption saying he would 'show them.' Burden believes he is the best receiver in this year's draft class.
"I just want to show I'm the best (wide receiver in the class)," Burden said in a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine. The selection of Burden is the second for Missouri of this year's draft, with the New York Jets selecting Armand Membou at pick No. 7.
This marks the first time since 2011 where two Tigers are selected in the first round. Burden's decision to commit to Missouri was a crucial moment in the program's turnaround. A St.
Louis native, Burden is the second-highest rated commit for Missouri in program history, according to 247Sports . The wide receiver was a star for the Missouri offense for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, where the program put together a combined record of 21-5. Over those two seasons, Burden grabbed 147 receptions for 1,888 yards and 15 touchdowns.
NFL Combine/Workout Details Height: 6000 Weight: 206 Hand: 848 Arms: 3128 Wingspan: 7648 40-yard dash: 4.41 10-yard split: 1.54 Evaluation Burden proved to live up to the expectations for him out of high school, earning First-team All-SEC honors in both 2023 and 2024.
He was also named to the Associated Press' All-American Second-team in 2023. In his true freshmen season, Burden hadn't fully grown into his role, mainly taking snaps on the boundary while Dominic Lovett handled the slot role. Burden still caught 45 passes for 375 yards and a team-leading six receiving touchdowns.
He also was involved on creative rush plays, taking 18 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. The introduction of offensive coordinator Kirby Moore to Missouri in 2023 also led to the introduction of a new role for Burden in his sophomore season, shifting primarily to the slot. This shift to the inside allowed Burden to show off his skills after the catch, going from an average of 1.
22 yards after the catch per reception in 2022, to 8.4 in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus. His 1,212 receiving yards in 2023 were the ninth-most in the nation, and the third-most in the conference.
The 2023 season is the best tape to look at for what Burden offers to a NFL team. He's at his best when opportunities are created for him to joystick his way around defenses. "They're gonna get a playmaker," Missouri quarterback Brady Cook said at the Combine on what Burden would bring to a NFL team.
"Someone who can change the game when he has the ball in his hands. That’s Luther's thing, he’s the superstar. Get him the ball, he’s gonna make special things happen.
" For 2024, a simple glance at the stat sheet shows a significant falloff in production for Burden in his final season. He caught 61 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns. However, the box score never tells the full story.
Missouri's offense as a whole dealt with inconsistency and injuries at the quarterback position that hampered Burden's production. "I'm pretty much a game plan for every team I face," Burden said at the Combine. "It's not gonna be easy getting me the ball.
So, I knew that going into the game." Read more Missouri Tigers news:.
