The Carolina Panthers should feel secure at the most important position on the field. Former No. 1 pick Bryce Young had a poor rookie campaign and a slow start to his sophomore season. However, after returning from the bench later in the year, Young showed he was capable of being a franchise quarterback.
Now, it’s time to add quality pieces around him.
The Panthers are in the middle of the pack in terms of projected cap space, but the good news is they also hold the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Carolina has no shortage of options, but if adding a target for Young is a top priority, taking a wide receiver will be tempting.
NFL Analyst Predicts Carolina Panthers Will Pick Luther Burden III
At No. 8, there is a possibility Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter and Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan are off the board.
This is why PFN’s Alan Goldsher predicted the Panthers to pick Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III in Round 1.
“Hey, Bryce Young might be good! But you know what would make the soon-to-be third-year quarterback better? A young speedster to line up opposite the aging Adam Thielen and the still-raw Xavier Legette,” Goldsher wrote.
“Despite my Carolina diss in the intro to this article, the Panthers finished the season on an upward trajectory, and a WR1-in-training might help maintain the momentum.”
While the Panthers’ defense was among the worst in the NFL this season, prioritizing the development of their QB could take precedence this offseason. Young ranked No. 28 in PFN’s QB+ metric, and a chain-moving, playmaking wideout could help accelerate Young’s development.
Burden’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 208 pounds
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Missouri
- Current Year: Junior
Every summer, we roll over to the next cycle, and a new WR becomes the apple of the evaluation community’s eye. Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, odds are high that Burden will be this WR.
Burden has long been preconceived as a potential first-round prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he’s done nothing to stall his momentum in that regard.
He was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of East St. Louis High School who, in his senior season, caught 71 passes for 1,174 yards and 20 touchdowns, and returned 21 punts for 852 yards and eight scores.
Burden could have attended a blue-blood school, but instead, he remained in-state and chose to help resurrect the Missouri football program. And the results have already come along.
In 2022, Burden flashed promise with 463 total yards and eight total TDs — as well as a punt return TD. In 2023, Burden was a driving force in the Tigers going 11-2, and Burden himself was a first-team All-SEC honoree with 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine scores.
The trajectory has been set for Burden, and he’s rocketing toward Round 1 at a rapid pace. But looking at his current profile, where does his grade land him, and where might he settle in when the 2025 NFL Draft arrives?