The Chicago Bears have a lot of sorting to do with their new offense. Head coach Ben Johnson was hired to whip a unit that has been the team's weak link for decades into shape. It starts with crafting a scheme that best fits the strengths of quarterback Caleb Williams. At the same time, he must determine who the best options are for his passing game. Most people will immediately jump to the established names like D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, along with Cole Kmet and 1st round pick Colston Loveland. That leaves Luther Burden in a sort of weird limbo.
After all, Chicago drafted him in the 2nd round. That is a clear sign they really like the Missouri wide receiver. Yet the presence of more experienced receivers and his failure to participate in spring practices due to a hamstring injury didn't help his chances of contributing much as a rookie. Matt Waldman of Football Guys isn't worried about it. Based on his long experience evaluating wide receivers, not only will Burden contribute this season, but he'll ultimately end up one of the Bears' best options.
We're talking rare levels of rookie production.
What I'm sharing about Luther Burden III was also true with Ladd McConkey. This is how I began the McConkey article. Exactly a year ago, I ranked McConkey inside my top 10 based on where I believed he would finish, and he remained among my top 15 options throughout the summer.
I didn't tell you to draft McConkey this high. Sometimes rankings should tell you how valuable you believe the player will be as opposed to where you should take him. I'm doing the same with Luther Burden III...
...I've been bullish on rookie wide receivers delivering as starters before. A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and Chris Olave were all players I had higher than the consensus. I specifically labeled Brown, Jefferson, Chase, and Olave as players with the best team fit among their peers and most likely to deliver strong production immediately. Even Jayden Reed and Jordan Addison were higher on my board than most...
...Luther Burden III has this level of talent, but his skills and fit are misunderstood.
Luther Burden was never used to his full potential in college.
That is the argument Waldman makes. People believe that because he worked primarily out of the slot as a catch-and-run or gadget guy, it was all he could do. Yet when you evaluate his talent, you realize he was capable of much more. The same was true of McConkey. He'd been trapped in a Georgia offense built around running the football and an efficient, if rudimentary, passing game. He got a much more creative scheme to play in with Los Angeles, not to mention a far better quarterback. The same will be true of Luther Burden. Johnson's offense is miles better than whatever they ran at Missouri, and Caleb Williams is a vastly superior quarterback. Throw in the fact that his skill set is a perfect fit for what Johnson likes to do, and you start to understand why Waldman believes a big year is coming.
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