Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers are projected to draft Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III with their 2025 first-round pick.
In his first mock draft of the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, NFL.com draft analyst Bucky Brooks has projected that the Pittsburgh Steelers will select Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III.
Brooks predicts the Steelers will stick at pick No. 21, and have their choice between Burden and Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden after Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan goes at No. 6 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka is taken at No. 19 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“The Steelers’ pedestrian offense needs more playmakers to keep up with the high-scoring attacks within the division,” Brooks writes. “Burden is a catch-and-run specialist with the crafty playmaking skills to flourish on the perimeter.
Burden is a junior who played all three seasons of his collegiate career at Missouri. The 5-foot-11, 208-pound wide receiver had his most productive season in 2023 when he recorded 86 catches for 1,212 and nine touchdowns.
However, he still proved to be a difference-maker with the ball in his hands this season as he registered 61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
That’s exactly the type of playmaking the Steelers offense has lacked in recent years. Outside of George Pickens, who may not even be on the team next season, Pittsburgh didn’t have a wide receiver eclipse 550 receiving yards in 2024.
In fact, tight end Pat Freiermuth was second on the team with 653 yards on 65 catches. That’s why it would be smart of the Steelers to use high draft capital to land one of the top playmakers in this year’s rookie class like Burden.
The Steelers could also strengthen their wide receiver room via free agency, but it wouldn’t hurt to double dip, either. They have had an obvious need at wide receiver ever since trading starting wide receiver Diontae Johnson last March and veterans Van Jefferson and Mike Williams are set to become unrestricted free agents.
