With DJ Moore and Rome Odunze already on the roster, it may have been a surprise to see the Chicago Bears select a wide receiver with their No. 39 overall pick. But with Luther Burden still available, Bears head coach Ben Johnson simply couldn’t resist.
Neither could offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The youngest offensive coordinator in the NFL will be a key right hand man for Johnson as he enters his first season as an NFL head coach. Furthermore, Doyle’s fingerprints will be all over Chicago’s offensive gameplan.
When it comes to Burden, the Bears now have one of the best playmakers in the 2025 NFL Draft. Doyle laid out Chicago’s plan for the wide receiver and how they plan to introduce him into the offense, via team reporter Larry Mayer.
“You can use him in a lot of different ways,” Doyle said. “The goal is to bring him here, figure out what he does well and see if we can find ways to get him touches where he can impact the game. We’re just trying to build depth and competitiveness at each position. They felt good about the value of that pick, and the more guys that can come in and contribute for us, the better.”
How Luther Burden fits Chicago Bears offense
Johnson is sure to be creative and now have every pass catcher in the same role every route. However, as it stands, Burden is poised to start in the slot with Moore and Odunze on the outside. It’s a role the wide receiver excelled at while in college.
Over his three years at Missouri, Burden caught 192 passes for for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns. His best season came as a junior, when he made 86 grabs for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. Burden was named First-team All-SEC.
He earned the same distinction in 2024, despite his drop in numbers. However, Burden dealt with shaky quarterback play while on the Tigers. No one is doubting his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. Furthermore, Burden earned a comparison to New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson before the draft by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
“Former five-star recruit who offers five-star athleticism and playmaking ability. Burden is a natural on the field with above-average speed and exciting ball skills to win at a high rate. He takes snaps off and short-circuits routes if he’s not the primary option, but he can separate and succeed on all three levels when it’s his time,” Zierlein wrote. “Missouri exploited Burden’s yards-after-catch talent with a barrage of short throws, but NFL teams are much more likely to diversify his usage, activating his complete skill set and big-play potential.”
“The production against top teams was uneven at times but so was Missouri’s quarterback play,” Zierlein concluded. “Burden checks several priority boxes that typically foreshadow an impressive NFL career.”
Initially, Burden will be a bit of a wild card for the Bears. But he will undoubtedly be a key chess piece for Johnson. He will look to scheme mismatches against slower defensive backs. Furthermore, there will be a heavy dose of plays diagnosed to get Burden open in space. If teams are too focused on Moore and/or Odunze, then it’ll be Burden’s time to shine.
The Bears were listening to their draft board, as Ryan Poles likes to say, when they took Burden. But they didn’t just take him because he was their top prospect remaining. Johnson clearly sees a path to success inside the offense. If that vision plays out how the head coach plans, then Caleb Williams will have a lethal downfield threat for the foreseeable future.
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