The Chicago Bears made another splash with the selection of Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III with the 39th overall pick, adding another weapon for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
Burden is one of the most explosive playmakers in this draft class, and he just narrowly missed out on being a first-round selection.
Last season with Missouri, Luther had a team-high 61 receptions for 676 yards, averaging 11.1 yards per catch, and six touchdowns in 12 games. Johnson has discussed the importance of the slot receiver in his offense, and that’s exactly the role that Burden will be filling in Chicago’s offense as a YAC machine.
One player who’s excited about the Burden selection is Rome Odunze, who’s excited to welcome the Mizzou Tiger to the receiver room. Odunze posted the following to his Instagram story after the pick:
Rome Odunze’s Instagram story after the #Bears took Luther Burden: pic.twitter.com/HpTdNDUHzC
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) April 26, 2025
Here’s the rundown on Burden courtesy of USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly: “Burden projects as a playmaking slot receiver with the burst to get chunk yards after catch. He’s built like a running back with reliable hands but likely projects only to the slot in the NFL. A creative offensive playcaller will enjoy getting him the ball in space and he has immediate potential as a returner.”
Chicago’s receiver room is stacked starting with DJ Moore and Odunze, who are primed for big years. Burden now steps into that WR3 role as free-agent additions Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay will serve as additional bodies in that group.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL draft: Rome Odunze reacts to Bears’ pick of Luther Burden III