Unpacking Future Packers: No. 43, Missouri WR Luther Burden III
Unpacking Future Packers: No. 43, Missouri WR Luther Burden III
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft.
The highest the Green Bay Packers have taken a wide receiver in the NFL Draft since selecting Javon Walker with the 20th overall pick in the 2002 draft was when they traded up in the second round to take Christian Watson with the 34th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
A wide receiver that the Packers could target in that range during the 2025 draft is Luther Burden III. The Missouri wide receiver checks in at No. 43 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A five-star recruit, Burden caught 45 passes for 375 yards and six touchdowns during his first season on campus. In 2023, Burden recorded 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. This past season, he reeled in 61 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns. He also added two rushing touchdowns.
"In his last two years, he really added an explosive element to the Missouri offense," Joey Van Zummeren, a Missouri reporter for SI Now, said. "In 2023 when running back Cody Schrader went on a tear through the SEC, defenses couldn't go too heavy in the box because of the threat of Burden."
Burden is an electric playmaker. He's maybe the most dangerous YAC threat in this draft class. The name of the game is to get Burden the ball and let him create explosive plays. Once the ball is in his hands he puts stress on the defense. He has good vision. He understands angles and spacing and has the speed to run away from defenders. It may take a host of defenders to get him down. He's able to decelerate and accelerate on a dime to keep tacklers off balance. He's got the contact balance of a running back and competes hard to pick up extra yards.
In 2023, Burden racked up 724 yards after the catch and forced 20 missed tackles. This past season he forced 30 missed tackles, but his YAC dipped to 373. Burden also finished his career at Missouri with four rushing touchdowns.
"The term 'human joystick' is overused for football players, but Burden really is the best representative I've seen of that," Van Zummeren said. "His ability to stop, pivot and turn is what makes him so good after the catch. There were multiple Burden plays I watched from the press box where he looked trapped and about to be tackled, so I'd look down at my computer, just to see him 10 yards down the field two seconds later. The way he gets open on plays designed for him to create space after the catch might not translate to the NFL, but his agility definitely will."
During his time at Missouri, Burden was often granted a free release off the line of scrimmage. He's extremely explosive in short areas to create separation in tight spaces. He's twitchy in his movements and has an understanding of route leverage. Missouri liked using Burden as a gadget player on sweeps and tried to get him the ball quickly on hitches, and curl routes.
Burden understands the importance of route tempo and does a good job of using subtle head movements to create separation mid-route. He has clean footwork and makes his transitions look effortless. He has the long speed (4.41 40-yard dash time) to threaten teams vertically.
"At the Combine, Burden said the Missouri system didn't allow him to fully show off his route running ability," Van Zummeren said. "I can see where he's coming from there, but he also showed off that he can do a lot more than just a 10-yard curl, then get yards after the catch. He had a few big plays on go routes, not because of straight-line speed, but because of his timing and understanding of leverage. It's something he worked on a lot with receivers coach Jacob Peeler, who also coached D.K. Metcalf at Ole Miss. Ironically, a similar question surrounding Burden's supposedly underdeveloped route tree dominated the talk of Metcalf as a prospect."
Burden has excellent hand-eye coordination. He has strong hands and had seven drops on 201 targets over the past two seasons. While he's not going to climb the ladder to win jump balls, he's more than comfortable working the middle of the field to make catches in traffic. He has good body control and is able to snare passes away from his frame without having to throttle down.
"He certainly isn't a big 50/50 ball guy, just because of his build," Van Zummeren said. "But, he is surprisingly good at fighting for catches. He also does a pretty good job at adjusting to misplaced passes."
With his frame, he may not be an effective stalk blocker at the next level, but the Missouri wide receiver certainly has the 'want to' in him.
Burden brings special teams value as a punt returner. During his first season with the Tigers he averaged 12.6 yards per return and he had one punt return touchdown. He finished his collegiate career with 24 punt returns and averaged 10.5 yards per return.
Fit with the Packers
A year ago at this time it was unimaginable to think the Packers would even ponder taking a wide receiver in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Fast forward a year and the shine has worn off for a group that looked very promising.
Dontayvion Wicks struggled with drops this past season, something that has plagued him since his Virginia days. Wicks creates separation, but that doesn't matter if you can't consistently complete the process.
Jayden Reed started his sophomore season with a bang, before cooling off down the stretch. The former second-round pick also got the case of butterfingers.
Romeo Doubs suffered two concussions this past season and also had an isolated incident earlier in the season that caused the Packers to suspend the former Day 3 selection.
Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL during the team's final regular season game and will likely miss the majority of the 2025 campaign.
The Packers need a dynamic playmaker added to the mix and Burden would provide Green Bay's offense with some voltage with his YAC ability.
"If I were an NFL general manager, I'd draft Burden to add that same firecracker element he brought to Missouri to my offense," Van Zummeren said. "I think he's athletic enough to immediately contribute in a more specific role geared toward his slot performance in college, but also think he has plenty of room to develop into a more complete receiver that could also play on the boundary."
A large chunk of Burden's snaps came from the slot during his time with the Tigers. That doesn't mean he's a slot-only prospect.
Not comparing the two from a skill set standpoint, but Justin Jefferson also played a large chunk of his snaps at LSU in the slot. Just because a player wasn't asked to do something in college, doesn't mean they can't do those things. I firmly believe that Burden could thrive playing on the boundary at the next level. He's got the size, ball tracking skills and movement ability to excel playing on the boundary.
Burden has all the tools in the shed to develop into a dynamic three-level threat and a team's No. 1 wide receiver. With his YAC ability and strong hands, Burden could help Green Bay's aerial attack turn into a more potent and consistent unit.
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