Would they? Could they? They wouldn’t?

A new CBS Mock Draft by Draft Guru Tyler Sullivan has Miami selecting a wide receiver with the 13th overall pick in Round 1. Miami has many needs, and WR depth is one of them, but would they look to add to their WR group in Round 1? This Mock Draft is also interesting as it has AFC East rival the NY Jets Trading up to #1 overall to select Cam Ward.

Round 1, Pick #13: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

“Luther Burden III has a thick lower body that allows him to run through arm tackles in the open field. He is able to accelerate upfield quickly and has good body control to contort himself downfield. The Illinois native has primarily lined up in the slot, which means he does not have much exposure to getting off press coverage. His route-running must continue to improve. A reason for encouragement is Burden’s improved drop rate from his freshman season (9.3%) to 2024 (3.8%).”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Former five-star recruit who offers five-star athleticism and playmaking ability. Burden is a natural on the field with above-average speed and exciting ball skills to win at a high rate. He takes snaps off and short-circuits routes if he’s not the primary option, but he can separate and succeed on all three levels when it’s his time. Missouri exploited Burden’s yards-after-catch talent with a barrage of short throws, but NFL teams are much more likely to diversify his usage, activating his complete skill set and big-play potential. The production against top teams was uneven at times but so was Missouri’s quarterback play. Burden checks several priority boxes that typically foreshadow an impressive NFL career.

 

Strengths

  • Early acceleration to bypass defenders and top-end speed to stay ahead.
  • Eludes route redirection to maintain vertical momentum.
  • Natural playmaking skills and instincts.
  • Stacks, tracks and adjusts to deep balls like an outfielder.
  • Operates with sudden, well-timed hands.
  • Plucks throws cleanly and away from his frame.
  • Body control and ball skills to make the difficult look easy.
  • Multifaceted run-after-catch talent with dynamic results.
  • Eliminates pursuit angles with the ball in his hands.

Weaknesses

  • A little bit leggy in his short-area routes.
  • Can be inconsistent in finishing his routes.
  • Occasional drops when traffic is near him.
  • Needs to work back to prevent being contested.
  • 75 percent of career catches were targeted inside of 10 yards, per Pro Football Focus.

The Draft Network Draft Profile

Size:

Height: 5’11” | Weight: 210 lbs

Accomplishments:

Second-Team All-America (2023) • First-Team All-SEC (2023)

“Luther Burden III is a dominant primarily slot receiver that can make big plays vertically down the field or take short passes and convert them into big-time plays.”

Strengths:

  • Ball tracking and contested catches
  • Elusiveness in the open field
  • Instincts

Concerns:

  • Speed to separate vertically
  • Detailed route-running
  • Most effective as a slot receiver
  • Can he be alignment-versatile?

Film Analysis:

Luther Burden III entered the 2024 season as one of the best receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. In 2024, the entire Missouri offense appeared to take a step back and this impacted Burden’s overall production and effectiveness. Overall, Burden has still shown that he is the type of prospect that coaches should make an intentional effort to get the football to as often as possible in many situations. On most plays, Burden aligns as a slot receiver but he can align as an outside receiver, in the slot, or will even align in the backfield, serving as a chess piece who is put in positions to be a mismatch. Burden has many natural receiver traits such as ball tracking, natural hands, short-area quickness, and an understanding of how to uncover from defenders, especially against zone defense.

Aligning primarily in the slot, Burden has multiple releases where he can quickly get into his route and instantly create separation, or he can tempo his route and take his time to manipulate defenders and effectively run option routes in the middle of the field. Working vertically, Burden has the burst to get vertical and works to separate from defenders. In situations where Burden doesn’t separate, he has shown to have the aggressive nature to elevate and go get the football at its highest point. Burden is comfortable in contested situations, showing body control, ball tracking, and a wide catch radius to make spectacular catches look like routine plays.

After the catch, Burden turns into a playmaker and can pick up significant yardage. Burden has the short-area quickness, start/stop ability, and burst to get past defenders and convert short throws into big plays. Defenses should always be aware of Burden because of the volume of targets he receives combined with his ability to make big plays all over the field and his ability to score from anywhere.

The biggest question mark for Burden as a prospect is his ability to align as a traditional outside receiver against press-man and consistently win. Burden has good athletic traits but defenders have an opportunity to slow him down if he is put in a condensed space like playing the outside receiver. Corners who are high-level athletes and are technically sound can disrupt his ability to effectively run routes and catch passes.

Overall, Burden is a natural playmaker who can be an intentional part of a team’s game plan because of his ability to make big-time plays and flashes that he can develop into being a team’s No. 1 receiving option.