The NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and there are differing opinions on who the top-ranked players at some positions are.
This is no different at the wide receiver position, as several prospects are in contention to be considered the top player at the position. One former All-Pro wide receiver weighed in on the draft class and who he likes most at the wide receiver position.
Cris Collinsworth Views Luther Burden III as the Top WR in NFL Draft
“My favorite player in the draft at receiver is Luther Burden III,” said three-time All-Pro wide receiver and current NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth. “He’s just awesome.”
Burden caught 61 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 while adding 115 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The numbers were a massive drop-off from his breakout 2023 season when he caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Missouri product ran a 4.41-second in the 40-yard dash and figures to be one of the first wide receivers off the board on draft day.
Tetairoa McMillan, Matthew Golden, and Emeka Egbuka figure to be names that are competing to be the first pure wide receiver to be selected. Of course, Travis Hunter is also set to be a first-round pick, but he is a unique case as he plays both wide receiver and cornerback.
“Deebo Samuel [Sr.] with speed kind of thing,” Collinsworth added. “I think Luther Burden is a guy that’s going to take the league by storm.”
“My favorite player in the draft at receiver is Luther Burden” – @CollinsworthPFF 🌟 pic.twitter.com/wKQjYt3I3O
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) April 17, 2025
Samuel is coming off a down season in 2024, where he caught 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns. However, when he’s healthy and at his best, Samuel has proven to be a unique weapon for an offense due to his ability to impact the game as a rusher and a receiver.
In 2021, Samuel led the league in yards per reception, 18.2, while catching 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns. That year, he also rushed for 365 yards and eight touchdowns, en route to his first career Pro Bowl.
PFSN’s Stats & Insights team had Burden going to the Denver Broncos at No. 20 overall in their latest mock draft.
“Sean Payton was confident he found his quarterback of the future last draft, and nothing during Bo Nix’s stellar rookie campaign has him thinking differently as we sit here today,” said PFSN’s Stats & Insights team.
“Now, he’s likely to dive all in when it comes to building around the most valuable commodity in professional football: a competent signal-caller on a rookie deal.”
“Courtland Sutton ranked seventh (minimum 75 targets) in average depth of target a season ago, so while Luther Burden III profiles as the type of playmaker who can have success at all three levels, the thought here is that Payton, like Missouri last year, leans into what Burden can do with the ball in his hands.”
Collinsworth isn’t the only former wide receiver who is high on Burden as an NFL prospect. “Y’all aren’t talking about Luther Burden enough for me with the NFL Draft talk,” said Torrey Smith, a two-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver. “He is special.”
What order the top receivers come off the board will be one of the top storylines on draft day. With several teams in need of a receiver, Burden could hear his name called early.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
