Even The Cleveland Browns likely have their eye on the 2025 NFL Draft and potentially standout wide receiver Luther Burden III out of Missouri.
Despite With just 61 catches, 800 total yards and eight touchdowns, Burden III is one of the best prospects in all of college football and the entire NFL Draft. He entered the season with a ton of hype and racked up 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023 before settling in with subpar quarterback play all season.
And where Burden III is expected to be drafted, his schedule fits, and Cleveland's positional needs may make him the perfect candidate to tick all the boxes come April. Daft on Draft, an nfl draft site, at least thinks so.
Luther Burden III was rated as an “excellent fit” by the Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft
Daft on Draft named Burden III one of eight “outstanding matches” between nfl teams and 2025 NFL Draft prospects as we approach the pre-draft process. Here's what Daft on Draft on the match between the Browns and Missouri's standout wide receiver:
“The Cleveland Browns have been looking for ways to create explosive plays, and they largely came onto the field without Deshaun Watson. Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman have become legitimate threats on the field, but what they lack is a player who can become an extension of their running game.
Elijah Moore is not that player and he will be a free agent at the end of the season. Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III is this player. Not only is he like a Deebo with the football in his hands and difficult to get on the ground, but his ability to win on the field and on the edge of the field elevates his game even further.”
Why Burden III to the Browns makes sense
It's no secret that the Browns have tried to push the ball to the sidelines offensively with Moore and other playmakers, to no avail. It's also no secret that they have limited weapons, with only tight end David Njoku able to create after the catch.
Burden III solves both problems.
While Burden III plays primarily in the slot and plays over 80 percent of his snaps there, this prediction comes down to whether or not the Browns believe he can also play on the outside at Z. Given his film, that answer is a resounding yes.
The body control, level of physicality and explosive energy that Burden III possesses when working on the field and along the perimeter make it clear that he can win outside when asked to do so at the NFL level. Fits in a room with And Burden III fits like a puzzle piece.
With Tillman playing the prototypical X receiver, Burden III gives Jeudy and the Browns the freedom to line up in the slot or at Z, doing the opposite to create mismatches and advantages for both players.
With a 3-8 record and a need for a wide receiver, could the Browns and Burden III be a match made in heaven come the NFL Draft?
