The Missouri Tigers don’t always get their due. But the 21st-ranked SEC squad is 5-0 and has a couple of future NFL Draft sleepers in quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden. In Week 6, those sleepers are emerging as stars in a tough conference test.
Brady Cook, Luther Burden Future NFL Draft Standouts at Missouri
Missouri’s success so far in 2023 has been a product of several factors. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has no doubt found his stride with the team in his fourth season at Missouri. Already, he’s nearly matched his career-best win total with the Tigers.
Nevertheless, it’s not just coaching. The Tigers have legitimate talent across the 2024 NFL Draft and 2025 NFL Draft cycles on both sides of the ball.
The defense is stacked at all three levels, with several potential 2024 NFL Draft picks. Darius Robinson is a standout on the defensive line. Ty’Ron Hopper is a dynamic three-down linebacker. And in the secondary, Kris Abrams-Draine, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., and Jaylon Carlies all have appeal.
All this considered, the Tigers’ offense, scoring 32 points per game, has been just as important. And the engine of the offense is the connection between QB Brady Cook and generational WR talent Luther Burden.
Cook and Burden Putting Up Numbers
Heading into Week 6, Cook had completed 74.5% of his passes for 1,468 yards, at a 12-yards-per-throw average, with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has three touchdowns on the ground, a year after he ran for 585 yards and six scores.
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Burden, meanwhile, has erupted as a dominating vertical and RAC threat for the Tigers, with 43 catches for 644 yards and five touchdowns through five games. And already, both players are putting in big showings in a ranked clash against LSU.
Burden’s success is less surprising for Missouri. He was a five-star recruit out of high school, comped by some to Deebo Samuel for his elite explosiveness and contact balance at 5’11”, 208 pounds. He’s also been compared to Amari Cooper by others for his play strength, route-running ability, and conversion proficiency at the catch point.
Of course, every star WR needs a steady QB to throw him the ball, and Cook has been only that in 2023. Cook already proved himself as a plus athlete and competitor in 2022. But in 2023, he’s improved his accuracy and situational precision, and in turn, he’s produced staggering efficiency numbers.
It remains to be seen if Cook will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, but if he does, he could legitimately command a selection. Burden, meanwhile, is already penciled in as a Round 1 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft cycle and a future game-changer for an NFL offense.