Mizzou star WR Luther Burden was taken with the 39th pick by the Chicago Bears. (Photo courtesy: Terrance Williams)
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The Chicago Bears selected University of Missouri standout wide receiver Luther Burden III with the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday.
Burden, a native St. Louisan who attended Cardinal Ritter and East St. Louis (IL) High Schools, will head to Chicago after earning First-Team All-Southeastern Conference recognition following each of his final two seasons at Missouri.
“I love this pick for the Bears,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller said. “Luther is a first-round talent and I’m not sure how he fell to the second round, but he’s going to be great in that Bears offense. They’ve got Caleb Williams at quarterback. DJ Moore as the lead receiver. Other top talents at receiver too. Luther should fit right in. And he’s the best run-after-catch guy in this draft. The Bears and Bears fans are going to love him.”
Over those three seasons, Burden started 34-of-38 career games played, totaling 192 receptions for 2,263 yards (11.8 avg.) and 21 touchdowns, adding a 61-yard rushing touchdown in 2024 and a 78-yard punt return touchdown as a true freshman in 2022.
Last season, Burden led Mizzou with 61 catches for 676 yards and six receiving touchdowns. In 2023, he posted 86 receptions (second-most in the SEC) for 1,212 yards (third-most in the SEC) and nine touchdowns. Those totals earned Burden a spot on the Associated Press Second-Team All-American Team.
With Burden III’s selection in the second round and offensive lineman Armand Membou being taken in the opening round on Thursday, Mizzou had two NFL Draft picks taken in the top 40 for the eighth time in program history and for the first time since 2011 when Aldon Smith (No. 7) and Blaine Gabbert (No. 10) were chosen.
Mizzou also achieved the feat in 2009 (Jeremy Maclin and Ziggy Hood), 1981 (Howard Richards, James Wilder and Eric Wright), 1977 (Morris Towns and Steve Pisarkiewicz), 1971 (Joe Moore and James Harrison), 1966 (Francis Peay and Butch Allison) and 1945 (Paul Collins and Bill Dellastatious).
Burden teamed up with fellow wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. in 2023 and 2024 to become the first Mizzou duo to achieve 600-plus receiving yards in back-to-back seasons since Emanuel Hall and Johnathon Johnson did so in 2017 and 2018. He ended his career ranking fourth in receptions, tied for fifth in receiving touchdowns and sixth in receiving yards.