Instant Grades on Chicago Bears' Selection of Luther Burden III

It's official — wide receiver Luther Burden III has found his NFL home with the Chicago Bears. 

The former Missouri Tiger was selected with the 39th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the sixth wideout to be taken, following Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Matthew Golden, and Jayden Higgins.

Burden will join a wide receiver group led by DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the Bears. His presence will benefit the Bears, as they have a young quarterback in Caleb Williams.

Chicago also recently acquired Ben Johnson as its head coach, who was formerly the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. As the Bears drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they seem to want to build around the offense.

Here are some of the instant grades outlets have issued for Chicago's new addition:

• Sports Illustrated: A+
• Yahoo Sports: B
• USA Today: A-
• CBS Sports: A+
• The Athletic: B-

Most analysts agree that Burden has the potential to be an elite playmaker. His strengths include his speed, as he clocked a time of 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine, his run-after-catch ability, and his physical demeanor.

He is an explosive player who can generate plays when it seems like nothing is there, but his route running could be improved. Some analysts also worry about his inconsistency at Missouri, with the drop in productivity he saw as a senior.

Though opinions differ, these grades are all generally positive. Whether or not Burden lives up to the expectations will be monitored throughout his career.