Luther Burden III gets selected by AFC West team in Matt Miller’s latest mock draft

Luther Burden III apperars to be trending in the wrong direction ahead of the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. He has recently been sliding down the board in many mock drafts, after previously being projected to be a top-10 pick and potentially the first wide receiver selected.

One draft analyst who has remained higher than most on Burden is ESPN's Matt Miller, who still expects the Missouri Tigers star to be selected in the first round. In his most recent mock draft, he predicted that the AFC West's Denver Broncos will land him with their 20th overall pick this year.

The Broncos were one of the most surprising teams last year, making the playoffs with rookie quarterback Bo Nix and an offensive roster with several holes. Wide receiver was one of the positions where they lacked depth, so landing Luther Burden III is a pairing that makes sense.

He could theoretically join Courtland Sutton in their starting lineup and give Nix a reliable duo in their passing game. They also signed star tight end Evan Engram during the 2025 NFL free agency period, so improving their pass-catchers has already been one of their focuses.

In this mock draft, Burden is the third wide receiver off of the board, following Tetairoa McMillan and Matthew Golden. For a prospect who was once thought of as a clear-cut star wide receiver, Burden could be an absolute steal at his currently declining draft projections.

Matt Miller responds to critics of Luther Burden III

Luther Burden III

Matt Miller explained in his recent ESPN mock draft that he remains optimistic on Luther Burden III, despite many others around the league seeming to be losing their excitement on his prospect profile. He explained why he thinks this trend has been developing, as well as what he thinks about the wide receiver.

Miller saod:

"Burden is one of my favorite players in this class, and I feel like he has been a victim of overevaluation ... Burden has the size, speed, and tools to be an elite receiver lining up outside or in the slot."

His athletic gifts make him an intriguing proispect, measuring 6-foot tall and weighing 206 pounds, while still running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the 2025 NFL Combine.

Miller mentioned that some may be concerned about his receiving production dropping in his final season, but he feels it's more a product of the Missouri Tigers' offensive troubles, and not a knock on Burden's outlook.