Chicago Bears rookie second-round wide receiver Luther Burden III still feels disrespected that he wasn't selected in the first round of this year's NFL draft. "I feel like teams that passed up on me are going to regret it," Burden said. "I just want to make everybody pay." Burden has been impressive in the early portions of rookie minicamp after being a first-team All-SEC selection the last two years. He caught 192 passes for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns in three college seasons at Missouri. The 21-year-old will join first-round rookie tight end Colston Loveland in an offense that already features pass-catchers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and Olamide Zaccheaus. The 6-foot, 206-pound Burden will initially be competing with Zaccheaus this summer for the WR3 role in Chicago. Volume will be an issue, but Burden certainly has intriguing after-the-catch abilities.
The Bears selected wide receiver Luther Burden out of Missouri with the No. 39 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Burden earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2024 after leading the Tigers with 61 catches for 676 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He was even better in 2023 with 86 catches for 1,212 yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. He joins a very crowded wide receiver room alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, but he gives the Bears even more options for second-year QB Caleb Williams in new head coach Ben Johnson's offense. If Burden steps in as the primary slot receiver in Johnson's system, he could be set for a huge rookie year as he plays the role that made Amon-Ra St. Brown a star in Detroit. He'll be high-risk until we get a clearer picture of his role, but he has a very high ceiling if he secures enough of the target share in Chicago.