Luther Burden’s flashy speed, ball skills and open-field electricity had pro scouts’ attention before he ever signed with Missouri as 247Sports’ No. 2 receiver in the 2022 high school class. Many lauded the East St. Louis (Illinois) product’s decision to stay close to home and play for the Tigers — and with his help, Missouri went from 6-7 his freshman year to a 21-5 record over the next two seasons.
His loyalty to the program and cornerstone status in the program’s turnaround made him a hero among Missouri fans, but it may have also cost him in the NFL Draft process.
In his most recent board, ESPN NFL Draft reporter Matt Miller expressed concern about Burden’s stock. Miller rated Burden No. 13, but said he would likely fall out of the top 15.
“He might be drafted lower due to concerns NFL teams have about his statistical drop-off,” Miller wrote.
CBS Sports NFL Draft experts echo the concern. Despite ranking No. 13 in the CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings, none of the six CBS NFL Draft experts project Burden to go higher than No. 21. Multiple project two or three receivers going ahead of Burden in the draft.
By any metric, Burden took a step back in 2024. After exploding for 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, he fell to only 676 yards and six touchdowns during a frustrating final campaign. Despite entering the year as the prohibitive favorite to win the Biletnikoff Trophy as the best receiver in the country, he failed to finish among the SEC’s top 15 in receiving yards.
Many of the struggles were not his fault. Mizzou’s offense took a massive step back in 2024 thanks to inconsistent offensive line play and injuries to quarterback Brady Cook. The running game dropped to 4.1 yards per carry after the loss…
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