Setting Rookie Expectations For Luther Burden III
Nobody expected Luther Burden III to be available when the Bears were on the clock in the second round.
He was regularly mocked in the first round throughout the pre-draft process, and some even believed he was the best pure receiver (not including hybrid playmaker Travis Hunter) in the entire class.
However, he was still on the board, and Chicago was happy to end his slide at pick 39 (just ask Antwaan Randle El).
So, where should expectations be set for the University of Missouri product in year one?
For starters, it’s worth noting that the Bears have a very talented group of pass-catchers. Burden will take a significantly smaller piece of the pie than he would if he landed somewhere with a less talented receiver room. Chicago has a lot of players who will (figuratively) demand targets, and there is only one football to go around.
DJ Moore and Rome Odunze both have a strong case for being the Bears’ top target in the passing game. They also have two quality tight ends in Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland. I’m not ruling out a situation where Burden is too talented to take off the field, but he’s got his work cut out for him when it comes to carving out a considerable role early on.
Unfortunately, the fact that Burden stumbled out of the gates to begin his career is also not working in his favor. He has been sidelined by a soft tissue injury that he suffered early on in the rookie minicamp. Earlier this week, Ben Johnson was asked about Burden being absent from practice.
He was brutally honest in his response (which is a breath of fresh air compared to Eberflus’ usual coach speak and word salad):
“Anytime you’re not out there, you’re losing valuable time,” said Johnson.
“It’s a shame that he got dinged up and missed all that time because, for a young player, it’s really where you get the most reps. You can get better in a hurry that way.”
Under normal circumstances, it would be quite concerning if the Bears’ second pick was sidelined through most of minicamp and OTAs. However, with great depth at the receiver position, they are not leaning on Burden to provide a major impact right out of the gate. If Loveland and Burden are on the field together, Kmet probably won’t be (unless one of Moore or Odunze is hurt). It also wouldn’t be surprising to see Olamide Zaccheaus split snaps with Burden early in the year. He is coming off an impressive season with the Commanders and can certainly hold his own as a supporting option.
The fact that it’s June 11th is another reason the early concern is unwarranted. Do you think Jayden Daniels learned anything this time last year that played a major role in his incredible rookie season? Maybe, but I highly doubt it. I believe Johnson when he says these reps are important, but Burden has plenty of time to gain chemistry with the starting offense before the start of the season. It’s far too early to panic about an unfortunate start.
I’m predicting a relatively modest rookie season from a statistical standpoint, but he will still make the most of his limited opportunities. He will have plenty of room to operate out of the slot, with the defense’s main focus being on Moore and Odunze on the outside.
Burden won’t be a consistent contributor with all of the mouths to feed in the Bears’ passing attack, but I’d be surprised if he doesn’t show flashes down the stretch.
Projection: 45 catches, 640 yards, 4 TDs
PHOTO: David Banks/Imagn Images
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Categorized:Bears