Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers need to get faster on offense and a young stud receiver would do the trick
Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.
The biggest priority for the Steelers this offseason must be revamping the wide receiver room, as they received next to nothing from anyone not named George Pickens or Calvin Austin III in 2025. Let’s take a look at a player who should be on their radar.
Former Missouri Tigers WR Luther Burden is clearly in the top tier of pass-catchers in this class—a tier that might only include him and Arizona WR Tetairoia McMillan. If you looked at the 2025 NFL mock drafts before the college football season, Burden was often mocked in the top-10 picks. Now, he’s surfacing in the middle of the first round — and I’m not exactly sure what changed. His stats did take a dip, as he went from 86 catches to 61, but that was more a product of the futile team around him.
Burden’s playmaking ability should have Steelers fans salivating. Of course, that word is cliché when talking about highly ranked skill players. But it’s the 0-to-100 guys who stand out. Burden is the type of dude who can turn a quick hitch into an 80-yard touchdown. He’s also one of the fastest players in the class and can line up just about anywhere in the formation. He led the entire nation in missed tackles forced with 30.
He’s not as stocky or powerful, but he has some Deebo Samuel to his game. The Steelers have been rumored to be interested in the San Francisco 49ers receiver this offseason due to his versatility. You can use Burden much like Samuel – in the slot, lined up in the backfield, or even on the outside boundary. He’s challenging to follow when put in motion, as displayed above.
In addition to his flexibility, he’s also quite reliable. Over the past two seasons, he dropped just seven passes on 200 targets — a staggering number considering his significant involvement and the fact that defenses would primarily key in on him. He’s not afraid to catch the ball in traffic, either, which too often can be the case with smaller, elusive receivers.
At 5-foot-11, he measures up fine against boundary cornerbacks, but I suppose if there was a knock on him, it would be that he is a bit vertically challenged. He also could work to develop more of a complete route tree. When combing through his tape there were a...
