Dallas Cowboys 2025 draft scouting report: WR Luther Burden III

Here is our scouting report on Luther Burden III from Missouri

We continue our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at wide receiver Luther Burden III from Missouri.

Luther Burden III

WR
Missouri Tigers
Junior
5-star recruit
5’11”
208 lbs

History

Luther Burden III, born on December 12, 2003, in St. Louis, Missouri, attended East St. Louis Senior High School, where he was a standout in both football and basketball. In his senior year of football, he recorded 71 receptions for 1,174 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning him MaxPreps Player of the Year and a 5-star recruit rating from major scouting services.

He was one of the top prospects in the 2022 recruiting class, drawing attention from several major college football programs before committing to Missouri. He quickly became a key player in the Tigers’ offense and scored eight total touchdowns in his freshman year. He had 45 receptions for 375 receiving yards while also adding 18 rush attempts for 88 yards.

In 2023, Burden had his most productive year as a receiver. He led the team catching 86 passes for 1,212 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. He was named First-team All-SEC for a highly productive season.

In his junior year Missouri had its fair share of struggles, especially on offense, and Burden felt that struggle as he tried to rally the offense. He ended the year with 61 receptions for 676 receiving yards and six receiving touchdown. He also added two rushing touchdowns and 115 rush yards. He was again named First-team All-SEC and declared for the draft.

2024 Statistics

537 Offensive Snaps
80 Targets
61 Receptions
676 Receiving Yards
6 Receiving TDs
373 YAC
30 Missed Tackles
115 Rush Yards
2 Rush TDs
3 Penalties

NFL Combine/Pro Day

TBC

Awards

First-team All-SEC (2024)
First-team All-SEC (2023)

Scorecard

Overall- 88.8
Speed- 90
Acceleration- 96
Agility- 89
Strength- 78
Catching- 92
Route Running- 82
YAC Ability- 96
Blocking- 70
Discipline- 93

THE GOOD:

Burden shows an explosive first step and change-of-direction ability, making him a significant threat with the ball in his hands.
Uses his speed and burst to get off the line and into his route stems quickly.
Exceptional at generating yards after the catch due to his vision, agility, and strength.
Good hands, especially in contested situations; he has a high catch rate even under pressure and in traffic.
A tough player to bring down when defenders get to him. He led the NCAA in missed tackles forced among this year’s wide receiver draft class.
Can line up in various positions of the field, including out of the backfield, which adds unpredictability to an offense.
Physical and aggressive as a blocker.
Has punt return experience.