Alabama WR Jermaine Burton is one of the more interesting prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Having played at two of the most prominent SEC schools, Burton has big-game experience. However, the production wasn’t quite there.
Let’s take a look at Burton’s path to the NFL.
Where Did Jermaine Burton’s Football Career Start?
Burton bounced around a lot during high school. He attended Hapeville Charter for his freshman year of high school.
As a sophomore, he went to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. For his junior year, he moved out West and spent a year at Calabasas High School in California.
As a senior, he moved back home to Marietta, Georgia.
After his senior year, Burton earned a spot in the Under Armour All-American Game. He was a four-star recruit and received offers from 20 Division I programs. Burton chose to enroll at Georgia.
Revisiting Burton’s College Career
Georgia
Although Burton’s collegiate career started in the pandemic year, the SEC played a relatively normal schedule. Burton appeared in 10 games, catching 27 passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns.
In his sophomore year, Burton played in 14 games, but his production did not really improve. He had 26 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns.
MORE: Top WRs in the 2024 NFL Draft
It’s worth noting that as a freshman, Burton played alongside George Pickens. For his sophomore year, Burton had to compete for targets with Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, and Adonai Mitchell.
After his sophomore year, Burton transferred to Alabama.
Alabama
At Alabama, Burton saw his production increase. He played 13 games as a junior, hauling in 40 balls for 677 yards and seven touchdowns. In his senior year, he snagged 39 passes for 798 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games as well.
The year of Jermaine Burton ascending as a ‘23 #NFLDraft prospect begins with #RollTide’s first TD of the game!
DB can’t keep with the speedy former Georgia WR in the back of the end zone and Burton ends up in a ton of space for an easy catch
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365)
Regrettably, Burton’s most notable action at Alabama had nothing to do with actual football.
After a loss to Tennessee in the 2022 season, Burton reached out and struck a fan who had stormed the field after the game. While no criminal charges were filed and any discipline was handled internally, it’s certainly something NFL teams will be aware of and take into consideration.
Due to COVID-related eligibility rules, Burton could have played a fifth and final year of college ball if he wanted to, but he chose to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Burton’s Potential in the NFL
Burton is a tricky player to evaluate because his production profile is not all impressive. However, according to PFN’s draft analyst Ian Cummings, his talent shines on film.
“Purely off of film, Burton grades out as a top-64 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and one of the more underrated prospects in the class. Character evaluations will play a large role in solidifying Burton’s stock, but if he doesn’t hold himself back, there’s little preventing him from being a dynamic receiving weapon.
“Burton’s non-elite production may be concerning to some, but watching his 2023 tape at Alabama, there were many quality targets that went overlooked by Jalen Milroe. Burton’s separation ability is certifiable, and he appears to have parsed down the competitive fire that was, at times, unkempt in his earlier years,” Cummings said.
MORE: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report on Jermaine Burton
Cummings sees a wide range of outcomes for Burton. The talent is undeniably there, but Burton will have to put any questions regarding his temperament and effort to rest rather quickly once he is drafted.
“Burton’s spread as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect is relatively large. If lapses in effort prove to be glimpses of a larger issue, he could struggle to catch on as more than a rotational deep threat. But if Burton can put it together, he has legitimate impact starter upside as a movement-Z with three-level dynamism,” Cummings noted.
Highlights, Records, and More
Given Burton’s lack of high-end production, he did not win any individual collegiate awards.
The best game of Burton’s Georgia tenure came as a freshman. In Week 7 against Mississippi State, Burton caught eight passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
He would have an eerily similar game three years later at Alabama, grabbing nine balls for 197 yards and two touchdowns in Week 7 against Texas A&M. Those two games alone represented 16.5% of Burton’s total receiving yards between his time with the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide.
As a sophomore, Burton was part of Georgia’s National Championship team. However, he didn’t play a particularly large role in any game that season, catching fewer than four balls in all but one contest.
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