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It's not every year that you sit near the end of the first round of the NFL Draft with one of the more complete rosters in football. We're Lions fans, if anyone ought to know, it's us. Having this feeling and potentially this luxury is something that we've never felt as a fan base.
Until now.
Using mock draft simulators and speculating on what the Detroit Lions could do with the 28th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is always fun. However, we should all know that those simulators are not accurate in how your favorite teams rank these draft prospects. It's evident that Lions General Manager Brad Holmes operates differently. He and Dan Campbell take a different approach to constructing the roster. Especially in the NFL Draft.
To this point in the draft process, it's been heavily discussed that the Lions will draft a player at one of the following positions in the 2025 NFL Draft -- defensive end, defensive tackle or an interior offensive lineman. Earlier in the process, there was a thought of them selecting a cornerback with the 28th overall pick but with how they've constructed their depth chart at cornerback, I don't think it's a realistic option in round one. Drafting in the trenches is certainly near the top of the list and rightfully so. It's always important to continue to build inside-out with your offensive and defense.
All of that said, one position that continues to get overlooked when looking at the Lions roster is at wide receiver. Sure, we could see a wide receiver selected somewhere on Day 2 or Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but it shouldn't be surprising if Brad Holmes strongly considers taking one with the 28th overall pick. That's especially true when we talk about drafting for need or the best player available.
The Lions do have Amon-Ra St. Brown, and he signed a four-year extension last off-season. "Saint" is incredibly productive throughout his career with 430 receptions for 4,851 yards and 33 touchdowns, but having insurance is always smart. Imagine not having insurance as you drive on these Michigan roads. That's just not smart.
But if something were to happen with St. Brown during the season, the Lions would turn to Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond. All of that is fine. However, there's something that hasn't been discussed enough is what happens beyond this upcoming season.
That something is that there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding all three of those players. It may not be on the forefront of the minds of the fans and the easy button is "deal with it next year." Let's be honest, does that really sound like something Brad Holmes would do?
I don't think so. He looks ahead and prepares for the future. Looking ahead, the Lions have a decision to make with Jameson Williams. Do they give him a contract extension or not? He's certainly earned one but with so many contract extensions waiting in the wings for Detroit, nothing is guaranteed.
Speaking of not guaranteed, Tim Patrick re-signed with the Lions this off-season on a one-year contract extension. It's been great seeing him rejuvenate his career in Detroit but we all know his injury history so nothing is guaranteed. As for Kalif Raymond, he's entering the final year of his two-year extension and he'll be 31 years old in August. He's fun to watch in the Lions offense but he's primarily a gadget player with a ton of upside on special teams. It wouldn't be surprising if he signs an extension with the Lions next off-season but he doesn't provide the Lions a long-term option at wide receiver. So how else do the Lions get that long-term option at wide receiver?
They can draft a wide receiver with the 28th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
When looking at wide receivers in the NFL Draft, it's always important to put them into tiers. You have your first tier, second tier and so on. In this year's draft, the top tier would be Tet McMillan from Arizona, Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State and Luther Burden III from Missouri. I would put Matthew Golden from Texas and Jaylin Noel from Iowa State in the next tier. However, it's thought that Matthew Golden could be off the board within the top-25 picks. The same is being said about McMillan and Egbuka as well.
The wild card to be selected in the first round is Luther Burden III from Missouri. There's a belief around the league that Burden is "limited and has work ethic concerns." While this may or may not be true, I believe that Burden is one of the better players in this draft. In fact, his tape and time at Missouri tell a completely different story than the one being told currently.
In the spring of 2022, the Missouri coaching staff credited Burden for his work ethic and willingness to learn. Missouri wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler said, "He was somebody just being a sponge, like asking a ton of questions, very humble. He's just a football guy at the end of the day." Situations and people change but I thought it was important to look back to Burden's time at Missouri. From what I discovered, the East St. Louis (IL) product wanted to make his family proud. He continues to do so by giving back to his community and working hard. In fact, he landed an NIL deal with a local Mercedes Benz dealer in Missouri and they offered him a car but he turned it down to ensure that "...he doesn't get overwhelmed and to be very patient."
Before diving into the tape on Burden, he may appear limited to what he can do compared to other receivers because that's what the data suggests. Between 2023 and 2024, he ran 516 routes from the slot and only 87 routes from the perimeter. He saw a 43% target share from the perimeter and a 30% target share from the slot. That makes sense with him spending the majority of 2024 playing out of the slot.
The next part of the argument is that Burden only caught slot fades and designed screen passes. While part of that may be true, can we really fault a player for how an offense decided to use him? It's not a fair assessment. Especially when Burden has instances on tape of running corner and slant routes, adjusting to the football downfield, making acrobatic catches and showing excellent run-after-catch ability. His production after the catch is some of the best we saw in the country. His 30 missed tackles last season was the most for any WR in college football.
These are all things we value when talking about McMillan, Golden and others in this wide receiver class. But we don't do the same with Burden. In my opinion, that's a poor assessment. Especially when the tape shows that he can win in a variety of ways all over the field.
When watching the film, plenty of people will say that he's productive due to manufactured touches. That's going to happen when you're the best weapon or play-maker for your offense. The football gets forced to you. But look at the play above against LSU from 2023. You'll see Burden aligned in the slot and as he stacks the defender, he initially breaks his route towards the middle of the field and then works back outside to the sideline on a corner route. From there, he does the rest after the catch.
Furthermore, it's not like Burden doesn't have the size or speed to play anywhere else on the field. We're talking about a 6" and 206-pound receiver who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the Scouting Combine.
In fact, he almost had a perfect day at the Scouting Combine. He hit a top speed of 22.8 MPH (per Next Gen Stats), and he received a perfect score in the gauntlet drill. Watching his workout, he practically glides after the catch. His burst when he secures a pass is so dangerous and that could be the reason why Missouri tried to get the ball into his hands so quickly. Granted, some of the play designs on certain screen passes were atrocious because Burden was left on an island with no lead blockers whatsoever, but I digress...
The very first play of the game against Texas A&M this season, he was aligned on the perimeter. He had a defender playing press-man against him and he quickly worked vertically with fluidity and a good pace. Despite a throw that appears to be designed as a back-shoulder throw, Burden made a great adjustment to the football. If he was limited or a "slot-only" receiver, we may have seen a different outcome on this play. We didn't because he's a very good football player.
The type of football player that the Detroit Lions have the luxury of taking. By adding Burden, the Lions would give themself insurance in case of an injury to another receiver or if they can't get a contract extension done with Jameson Williams. His addition to the offense would give the Lions another playmaker to their offense that already features LaPorta, St. Brown, Williams, Montgomery and Gibbs.
Imagine a scenario with LaPorta and Burden aligned on one side, St. Brown and Williams on the other and Gibbs out of the backfield. Good luck to most defenses out there. In addition to that, the Lions would have Burden on a five-year rookie deal with the fifth year being an option. Also, he would almost play his entire rookie season at only 21 years old.
In recent drafts under Holmes and Campbell, we saw the Lions take Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Jameson Williams. No matter how many mock draft simulators you did, none of those players were options or crossed our minds. The same could be happening right before our very own eyes with Luther Burden III from Missouri. His potential in Detroit would be astronomical.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions draft deep dive on Missouri WR Luther Burden as a prospect
Continue reading...
Until now.
Using mock draft simulators and speculating on what the Detroit Lions could do with the 28th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is always fun. However, we should all know that those simulators are not accurate in how your favorite teams rank these draft prospects. It's evident that Lions General Manager Brad Holmes operates differently. He and Dan Campbell take a different approach to constructing the roster. Especially in the NFL Draft.
To this point in the draft process, it's been heavily discussed that the Lions will draft a player at one of the following positions in the 2025 NFL Draft -- defensive end, defensive tackle or an interior offensive lineman. Earlier in the process, there was a thought of them selecting a cornerback with the 28th overall pick but with how they've constructed their depth chart at cornerback, I don't think it's a realistic option in round one. Drafting in the trenches is certainly near the top of the list and rightfully so. It's always important to continue to build inside-out with your offensive and defense.
All of that said, one position that continues to get overlooked when looking at the Lions roster is at wide receiver. Sure, we could see a wide receiver selected somewhere on Day 2 or Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but it shouldn't be surprising if Brad Holmes strongly considers taking one with the 28th overall pick. That's especially true when we talk about drafting for need or the best player available.
The Lions do have Amon-Ra St. Brown, and he signed a four-year extension last off-season. "Saint" is incredibly productive throughout his career with 430 receptions for 4,851 yards and 33 touchdowns, but having insurance is always smart. Imagine not having insurance as you drive on these Michigan roads. That's just not smart.
But if something were to happen with St. Brown during the season, the Lions would turn to Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond. All of that is fine. However, there's something that hasn't been discussed enough is what happens beyond this upcoming season.
That something is that there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding all three of those players. It may not be on the forefront of the minds of the fans and the easy button is "deal with it next year." Let's be honest, does that really sound like something Brad Holmes would do?
I don't think so. He looks ahead and prepares for the future. Looking ahead, the Lions have a decision to make with Jameson Williams. Do they give him a contract extension or not? He's certainly earned one but with so many contract extensions waiting in the wings for Detroit, nothing is guaranteed.
Speaking of not guaranteed, Tim Patrick re-signed with the Lions this off-season on a one-year contract extension. It's been great seeing him rejuvenate his career in Detroit but we all know his injury history so nothing is guaranteed. As for Kalif Raymond, he's entering the final year of his two-year extension and he'll be 31 years old in August. He's fun to watch in the Lions offense but he's primarily a gadget player with a ton of upside on special teams. It wouldn't be surprising if he signs an extension with the Lions next off-season but he doesn't provide the Lions a long-term option at wide receiver. So how else do the Lions get that long-term option at wide receiver?
They can draft a wide receiver with the 28th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
When looking at wide receivers in the NFL Draft, it's always important to put them into tiers. You have your first tier, second tier and so on. In this year's draft, the top tier would be Tet McMillan from Arizona, Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State and Luther Burden III from Missouri. I would put Matthew Golden from Texas and Jaylin Noel from Iowa State in the next tier. However, it's thought that Matthew Golden could be off the board within the top-25 picks. The same is being said about McMillan and Egbuka as well.
The wild card to be selected in the first round is Luther Burden III from Missouri. There's a belief around the league that Burden is "limited and has work ethic concerns." While this may or may not be true, I believe that Burden is one of the better players in this draft. In fact, his tape and time at Missouri tell a completely different story than the one being told currently.
In the spring of 2022, the Missouri coaching staff credited Burden for his work ethic and willingness to learn. Missouri wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler said, "He was somebody just being a sponge, like asking a ton of questions, very humble. He's just a football guy at the end of the day." Situations and people change but I thought it was important to look back to Burden's time at Missouri. From what I discovered, the East St. Louis (IL) product wanted to make his family proud. He continues to do so by giving back to his community and working hard. In fact, he landed an NIL deal with a local Mercedes Benz dealer in Missouri and they offered him a car but he turned it down to ensure that "...he doesn't get overwhelmed and to be very patient."
Before diving into the tape on Burden, he may appear limited to what he can do compared to other receivers because that's what the data suggests. Between 2023 and 2024, he ran 516 routes from the slot and only 87 routes from the perimeter. He saw a 43% target share from the perimeter and a 30% target share from the slot. That makes sense with him spending the majority of 2024 playing out of the slot.
The next part of the argument is that Burden only caught slot fades and designed screen passes. While part of that may be true, can we really fault a player for how an offense decided to use him? It's not a fair assessment. Especially when Burden has instances on tape of running corner and slant routes, adjusting to the football downfield, making acrobatic catches and showing excellent run-after-catch ability. His production after the catch is some of the best we saw in the country. His 30 missed tackles last season was the most for any WR in college football.
These are all things we value when talking about McMillan, Golden and others in this wide receiver class. But we don't do the same with Burden. In my opinion, that's a poor assessment. Especially when the tape shows that he can win in a variety of ways all over the field.
When watching the film, plenty of people will say that he's productive due to manufactured touches. That's going to happen when you're the best weapon or play-maker for your offense. The football gets forced to you. But look at the play above against LSU from 2023. You'll see Burden aligned in the slot and as he stacks the defender, he initially breaks his route towards the middle of the field and then works back outside to the sideline on a corner route. From there, he does the rest after the catch.
Furthermore, it's not like Burden doesn't have the size or speed to play anywhere else on the field. We're talking about a 6" and 206-pound receiver who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the Scouting Combine.
In fact, he almost had a perfect day at the Scouting Combine. He hit a top speed of 22.8 MPH (per Next Gen Stats), and he received a perfect score in the gauntlet drill. Watching his workout, he practically glides after the catch. His burst when he secures a pass is so dangerous and that could be the reason why Missouri tried to get the ball into his hands so quickly. Granted, some of the play designs on certain screen passes were atrocious because Burden was left on an island with no lead blockers whatsoever, but I digress...
The very first play of the game against Texas A&M this season, he was aligned on the perimeter. He had a defender playing press-man against him and he quickly worked vertically with fluidity and a good pace. Despite a throw that appears to be designed as a back-shoulder throw, Burden made a great adjustment to the football. If he was limited or a "slot-only" receiver, we may have seen a different outcome on this play. We didn't because he's a very good football player.
The type of football player that the Detroit Lions have the luxury of taking. By adding Burden, the Lions would give themself insurance in case of an injury to another receiver or if they can't get a contract extension done with Jameson Williams. His addition to the offense would give the Lions another playmaker to their offense that already features LaPorta, St. Brown, Williams, Montgomery and Gibbs.
Imagine a scenario with LaPorta and Burden aligned on one side, St. Brown and Williams on the other and Gibbs out of the backfield. Good luck to most defenses out there. In addition to that, the Lions would have Burden on a five-year rookie deal with the fifth year being an option. Also, he would almost play his entire rookie season at only 21 years old.
In recent drafts under Holmes and Campbell, we saw the Lions take Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Jameson Williams. No matter how many mock draft simulators you did, none of those players were options or crossed our minds. The same could be happening right before our very own eyes with Luther Burden III from Missouri. His potential in Detroit would be astronomical.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions draft deep dive on Missouri WR Luther Burden as a prospect
Continue reading...
