Not everyone was a fan of the Chicago Bears' selection of wide receiver Luther Burden III during the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Former NFL wide receiverĀ Steven Smith, who was the ire of the Bears' 2025 playoff run, seemed to have some pointed criticism of Burden's work ethic. Despite Burden posting a photo of himself working out after not being taken during the first round of the draft on Thursday night, Smith seems to have taken issue with Burden's preparations for the draft.
In a video shared to his YouTube page, Smith praised Burden's talent but questioned his commitment. Among the reasons why Smith took aim at Burden was the wide receiver's decision not to run during Missouri's Pro Day. Smith noted that NFL teams sour on prospects who aren't willing to undergo Pre-Draft evaluations, and that could be something holding Burden back with the Bears.
There is no denying that at one point, Burden was believed to be among the best wide receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft class. However, inconsistent quarterback play led to his numbers taking a dip during his final season with the Missouri Tigers.
After posting 1,212 receiving yards with the Tigers in 2023, Burden's yards dropped to 676 for the 2024 season. Whether his fault or not, the decline likely played a part in Burden falling to the Bears on Friday night.
While Burden hasn't addressed Smith's comments, his former head coach at Missouri, Eliah Drinkwitz, did not miss an opportunity to defend his player while joining 670 The Score on Wednesday morning.
"He's got his own issues to worry about. I'm not worried about somebody else's opinion of Luther Burden's tape. The Chicago Bears liked the tape enough and believed in it."
Regardless of what his tape shows, Burden has drawn comparisons to DJ Moore, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Deebo Samuel. That is an elite group of wide receivers to be keeping company with, and likely is the reason why the Bears did not pass up the opportunity to grab him in the draft.