luther-burden-iii.jpg
Getty Images

With the NFL Draft just days away, it appears some teams across the league are trying to get a better grasp of one of the top wide receivers in the 2025 class. As noted by ESPN, the Missouri Tigers were recently asked by NFL teams to share cut-ups of Luther Burden III's route running in practice to get a deeper look at his route tree. The report also shared a snippet of Burden running various routes as a sample of what NFL evaluators were sent. 

Of course, it's a little unsettling if teams at this stage of the pre-draft process are still looking into a prospect to the point where they are reaching out to his school's program for more information. If teams were impressed with how Burden ran his routes during games, this request likely wouldn't come in. If they are questioning his route-running prowess, however, that would drive an organization to seek out some of his practice tape to get a sense of whether his route tree will translate at the next level. 

Burden is CBS Sports' No. 2-ranked wide receiver prospect in the 2025 class behind Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan and the 14th-ranked prospect overall. Before this development, he had been projected to come off the board either at the end of the first round on Thursday night or early on Day 2. That said, if teams have questions about his route-running ability, it's possible his floor is lower than initially thought. 

During his collegiate career at Missouri, Burden tallied 192 catches for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns. The 6-foot, 206-pound pass catcher did see his production dip during his final collegiate season compared to his 86-catch, 1,212-yard season in 2023. Last year, he hauled in 61 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns. 

Luther Burden III draft profile: Full scouting report, pro comparison and future outlook for top WR prospect
Dan Schneier
Luther Burden III draft profile: Full scouting report, pro comparison and future outlook for top WR prospect