Draft Prospect With Reported Falling Draft Stock May Fall Right Into Broncos Lap
The Denver Broncos have been linked to multiple draft prospects that they could take with their first few picks. Most prospects are wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends because those are their biggest holes, and they want to set Bo Nix up for Success. Since the Broncos have the 20th pick in the draft, receivers like Travis Hunter and Tetaiora McMillan are most likely out of the picture as they both are projected to be top 10 picks. This means the Broncos will probably not get a top-tier wide receiver- or will they? It has recently been reported that one of the top wide receivers in the draft class is falling on a lot of teams’ draft boards and could even fall out of the first round. This could play into the hands of the Broncos perfectly and allow them to get a new number one target for Nix.
Luther Burden III was widely regarded as the best receiver in the class going into the year, but after a little bit of a down year, ESPN has him ranked as the third best receiver in the class, and that does not count Travis Hunter because they have him listed as a DB. Burden had a stellar sophomore season where he had 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns but followed it up this season with 61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns. Burden
struggled a little bit this past season, but so did Missouri’s offense in general, especially in the quarterback department.
Burden also became a main focus for opposing teams after his sophomore season, which made it harder to get him involved. Burden is an athletic freak who can run routes at any level, and he is great at making plays after the catch. Burden has big play potential with his speed and hands, but his best work comes in the short game where he can make people miss. He could be a perfect player to get Nix easy completions and to get some extra yards out of it, as well as being able to get the deep ball. He is also really good at adjusting to the throw, body control, and catches almost everything that goes his way.
In a recent ESPN segment earlier this week, Mel Kiper and Field Yates discussed the top 10 wide receivers in this class. They had Burden at three but said that his stock dropped after this year and was not even a lock to be a first-round pick anymore, which we have seen with some first-round talents over the years, like Cooper Dejean and Joey Porter Jr. Burden reportedly seemed bored on offense and was seen taking plays off when he was not the primary
option or main target. Although he posted really good scouting combine numbers, there has still been no talk of him moving up the boards. This could allow the Broncos to scoop him up at pick 20 or even with the 51st pick if he drops that much due to his attitude. It seemed Burden was ready to go to the NFL this season, and with a fresh start in a new city and with a new young quarterback, he could be the steal of the draft.
