The 2025 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and by now, most draft pundits and experts have some consensus on who the best players at each position are.
For most of the pre-draft process, Texas wideout Matthew Golden and Arizona product Tetairoa McMillan labeled as the draft’s top two wideouts, not including cornerback-receiver hybrid Travis Hunter.
In fact, in the latest seven-round mock draft from PFSN’s Brentley Weissman, Golden is projected to go 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys, followed by McMillan at No. 18 (Seattle Seahawks). The only other receiver projected to go in the first round is Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka (32nd overall, Philadelphia Eagles).
Nevertheless, one receiver prospect is receiving some helium late in the process, with one draft analyst going so far as to suggest he’ll be the best wideout in the entire class.
Matt Miller Predicts Luther Burden III Will Be Best WR In 2025 NFL Draft
Matt Miller, a longtime draft scout and analyst for various media outlets such as Bleacher Report, appeared on “Up & Adams hosted by Kay Adams” to discuss prospects he feels are underrated heading into the 2025 draft.
When asked by Adams who his favorite wide receiver in the class is (besides Travis Hunter), Miller didn’t mince words.
“I love Luther Burden. I think he is the top receiver in this draft — if you put Travis Hunter on the island he deserves to be on [as a prospect],” Miller stated.
“I don’t know what’s happening with the Luther Burden slander in the draft media sphere right now. I think he’s fantastic. Going back to what he did as a freshman, where he was kind of a gadget player, then he became a No. 1,” the analyst explained.
After discussing the reasons for Missouri’s disappointing offensive performance this past year, Miller acknowledged that he’s still a big believer in Burden’s talents despite his relatively weak numbers.
“I’m still a big believer in him as a true No. 1 in the NFL. He’s being overthought. This happens in the NFL. A.J. Brown was a second-round pick, Deebo Samuel was a second-round pick. Teams overthink things. I think Luther should be a top-20 pick in this NFL draft.”
"I don’t know what’s happening with the Luther Burden slander in the draft media sphere right now.."
– @nfldraftscout says he's going to be a star in the NFL 🫡
pic.twitter.com/rPfWk4kRkS— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) April 2, 2025
In the same aforementioned PFSN mock draft, Burden is expected to be the first pick of the second round at No. 33 overall to the Cleveland Browns. That would make him the fourth wideout off the board, or fifth if you include Hunter.
“Luther Burden III falls out of the first round but is quickly gobbled up by the Browns here at the start of the second. Burden would give the Browns an exciting young playmaker to pair with Jerry Jeudy, who enjoyed a solid breakout campaign in 2024,” as explained by Weissman.
In PFSN’s scouting report on the Missouri product, Jacob Infante writes that Burden is an explosive playmaker who is especially dangerous with the ball in his hands. Just by taking a peek at this college stats, you can see how that adds up.
Given Burden’s high profile coming into college, it was no surprise that Missouri made an effort to get him involved. He caught 45 passes for 375 yards and scored six receiving touchdowns as a freshman.
The Tigers utilized his talents in space in other ways, as he also ran for a touchdown and returned a punt for a score. His eight offensive touchdowns led all true freshmen in the FBS in 2022.
After starting primarily out wide in 2022, Burden saw his production jump tremendously the more he played in the slot in 2023. He was a first-team All-SEC player and second-team All-American as a true sophomore, tallying 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.
Burden generated a significant amount of NFL interest coming into his junior year, but Missouri didn’t target him as much in the passing game. Though his caught target percentage increased in 2024, he fell to 61 catches with 676 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.
With Deebo Samuel-like versatility and incredible yards after catch skills, Burden has the skillset to appeal to all kinds of teams in this year’s NFL draft. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him be a first-round pick, especially if a franchise agrees with Miller’s analysis.