The Chicago Bears selected Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It marked the first time in the common draft era that Chicago selected two pass catchers with their first two selections, but the opportunity to add a top-ranked prospect in the second round may have been too good to pass up.
After a stellar sophomore season in 2023, Burden was expected to establish himself as a top-five prospect during the 2024 season. That didn’t come to fruition as injuries derailed Missouri’s offense, causing Burden’s production — and draft stock — to plummet.
Even after the disappointing season, Burden was still projected to be a first-round pick throughout much of the pre-draft process. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had Burden ranked as the third-highest wide receiver prospect before the draft. Instead, Burden tumbled down the draft board. Four wide receivers — Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, Matthew Golden of Texas and Iowa’s Jayden Higgins — heard their names called before the Bears finally put a halt to Burden’s free fall in the second round.
Luther Burden is holding a grudge against every team that didn’t select him
Burden was expecting to be a first-round pick, and he isn’t willing to forgive any of the 31 NFL teams that passed on an opportunity to select him earlier.
"No, that's staying with me forever," Burden said, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. "Everybody who passed up on me gotta pay."
Burden is a perfect fit for new Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offensive scheme, and his ability to generate yards after the catch should help alleviate pressure on second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
In Chicago, Burden will likely line up in the slot with wide receivers D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze on the perimeter. The Bears also selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick, who should fill the role that Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta played in Johnson’s offense last season. That could give Chicago’s passing attack with four first-round talents to go along with their rebuilt offensive line.
As a three-year starter at Missouri, Burden primarily operated from the slot and earned two first-team All-SEC selections in his final two seasons. He had his most productive season in 2023, topping 100 yards in six games as he compiled 86 receptions for 1,212 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. That impressive campaign earned him a second-team All-America selection, and he was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is rewarded to the best wide receiver in college football.
Burden started the 2024 season where he left off, tallying six receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown against Boston College. That production didn’t last, however. He finished his final collegiate season with just 61 receptions for 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns, while adding 115 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.