Future Broncos: Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III

Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III would be an explosive playmaker for the Denver Broncos if selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Denver Broncos are currently slated to pick 20th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Who they will eventually select is anyone’s guess. But as the draft approaches, the team’s leadership continues to do their diligence on a plethora of prospects available. Mike Klis recently reported that the Broncos hosted Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III for a Top 30 visit at Dove Valley headquarters.

Prior to this year’s college football season, Burden was considered one of the best wide receivers heading into this year’s draft cycle. As a sophomore in 2023, he was a second-team All-American and earned first-team All-SEC honors after reeling in 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and 9 touchdowns. Given his success, some draft analysts slotted him as a potential Top 15 pick.

Unfortunately, his production as a junior declined significantly and his perceived draft slotting has suffered as a result. Nevertheless, Burden is an explosive player with a skillset that would definitely add uniqueness to the Broncos’ offense. Let’s take a deeper look at what Burden offers as a player, his strengths and weaknesses, and when the Broncos should consider selecting him in this year’s draft.

Player Profile: Luther Burden III — Wide Receiver — Missouri

Height: 6’0” | Weight: 206 pounds | Arm Length: 31-1/4” | Hand Size: 8-1/2”

40-yard dash: 4.41 seconds | 10-yard split: 1.54 seconds

Statistics at Mizzou: 38 games, 192 catches, 2,263 receiving yards, 21 receiving touchdowns, 34 rushes, 234 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns.

Film Room & Highlights

Hart’s Scouting Report

Positives:

• Explosive athlete who can stop on a dime and hit the jetpacks to blow by defenders
• Successful separator versus both man and zone coverage schemes
• Impeccable ‘23 campaign showcased elite talent and premier playmaking ability
• Capable of working all three levels of the field successfully to stress opposing defenses
• Can be deployed as a weapon out of the backfield as well
• Standout player with respect to yards after the catch and forcing missed tackles
• Tape shows superb adjustment on down the field throws and a knack for highlight reel catches

Negatives:

• Primarily utilized as a slot only option at Mizzou which brings questions as to whether or not he can be used effectively out on the boundary in the National Football League
• Will need significant technique and effort improvements as a blocker — which is an important factor for Sean Payton’s receivers
• Could improve with his timing and breaks on routes having him coming back to the ball
• Will need time to expand his route tree after being significantly limited in his responsibilities last season with the Tigers

Hart’s Projection: Top 25 selection | Mid-to-Late First Round Value

Why the Denver Broncos should consider drafting Burden

With Bo Nix leading the way at quarterback, the Broncos’ offense has a lot of promise moving forward. In this year’s draft, I expect them to invest significant resources to adding playmakers around him which will include selections at running back, tight end, and wide receiver. How the team prioritizes them remains to be seen, but we will know in just a few short weeks.

While Burden had a down campaign in ‘24, I don’t believe it was all his fault. Their quarterback play was atrocious and as he saw a significant downturn in production because of it. His elite talent and playmaking ability was evident throughout his ‘23 campaign, and he was utilized more diversly during it. The same traits and abilities he had then still exist now, so I’m a little befuddled as to why he is being considered a candidate to slip into the second round of this year’s draft.

Some have mentioned potential character concerns or a diva attitude as a potential reason. However, it’s important to note that his college coach Eliah Drinkwitz refuted that notion. Moreover, he has spoken highly of him throughout the draft process. I’ll trust the guy who coached him the past three seasons.

In my opinion, his ‘23 highlights were some of the most fun to watch this cycle and showed a player who could make a significant impact in the NFL. My gut tells me the Broncos will go a different direction in the first round, but bringing in Burden for a Top 30 visit likely signifies there is sincere interest in him.

I don’t have too many concerns with Burden as a prospect, but one additional critique would be the overlap in skillset with Marvin Mims Jr. After a slow start to the season, Mims finally broke out toward the end of the year when Payton started deploying him in unique fashions—especially as a chess piece out of the backfield. The potential for some overlap in utilization exists, however I don’t necessarily believe the addition of Burden would be prohibitive to the growth and development of other young receivers on the roster.

Overall, Burden’s elite athleticism and playmaking ability make him one of this draft’s most intriguing and tantalizing prospects. Where they are currently selecting, I do have a handful of players I’d prefer over him. Though he would be a very intriguing option if they were to move down a few slots in the first round and acquire more selections.