One of Missouri football’s most talented prospects in recent memory is dropping to Day 2.

Luther Burden III, the three-year star Mizzou wide receiver out of East St. Louis, did not hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When he declared for the draft after his junior season, he was a near-consensus first-round pick. After the 2024 edition of the draft, some prognosticators even teased the possibility that Burden may earn No. 1-overall pick consideration.

From just about the day he stepped on campus in Columbia, Missouri, as the No. 3-overall prospect in the nation, Burden was expected to declare early and be a Day 1 draft selection.

That has not transpired. Only right tackle Armand Membou heard his name called Thursday, as the Lee’s Summit native went in the first round out of Missouri this season, heading to the New York Jets as the No. 7-overall pick.

But, why wasn't Burden selected?

And where is the MU pass-catcher now expected to land?

Why was Missouri football WR Luther Burden passed in first round?

Most draft projections in the immediate leadup to the draft projected that Burden had lost his first-round status. In that regard, Burden's omission from the first round was not a shock.

But, given his talent level and ability after the catch, his exclusion from the first round still stands as a surprise.

A recent social media post from ESPN draft insider Matt Miller reported that NFL teams requested that Mizzou share “cut-ups of Luther Burden’s route running in practice for a deeper look at his route tree.” The video Miller reported that the Tigers sent to the league teams is available to watch below.

That’s not the most encouraging sign for a prospect on draft week. In an ideal scenario, teams would be pretty certain about a wide receivers’ route-running ability sooner than the days leading up to the draft. It’s possible that some uncertainty caused Burden to drop.

After a stellar true sophomore season in 2023, Burden did not light the world on fire in 2024. He had 536 fewer receiving yards as a junior than as a sophomore. He caught 25 fewer passes and scored eight total touchdowns in 13 games. That’s also perhaps a strike against the wideout.

Counting Colorado two-way prospect Travis Hunter as a wide receiver, four wide receivers were drafted in the first round ahead of Burden. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to take Hunter at No. 2, Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) went to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8, Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 10 and Matthew Golden (Texas) was drafted by the Green Bay Packers at No. 23.

Where is Luther Burden likely to land in NFL Draft?

The good news for Burden is that he likely won’t have to wait long to hear his name called Friday.

Burden is the best available wide receiver on USA Today’s big board. He was the No. 30 prospect on the list at the beginning of the draft.

Multiple mock drafts in the leadup to this week’s event projected Burden to land at No. 35 with the Tennessee Titans or No. 36 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. If either of those projections play out, Burden would be the third or fourth player off the board Friday.

The lowest projection for Burden that the Tribune has seen is No. 47 to the Arizona Cardinals , which is about the midpoint of the second round. It would be surprising to see Burden fall that far.

Round 2-3 of the NFL Draft begins at 6 p.m. CDT Friday.

Will any more Missouri football prospects be drafted in Round 2 or 3?

There are three more Missouri football prospects who appear to stand a good chance of being drafted this year: wide receiver Theo Wease Jr.; defensive end Johnny Walker Jr.; and quarterback Brady Cook.

The likelihood, however, is that if they are each drafted, they all will be late Day 3 selections. In USA Today’s latest seven-round mock draft, no Missouri players beyond Membou and Burden were on the list.

That might not pan out. But, even if Cook, Wease and Walker do hear their names called this weekend, Friday’s second and third rounds will in all probability be quiet for those Mizzou prospects.

On Mock Draft Database’s big board, which compiles hundreds of mock drafts and projections and produces a consensus list, Cook is the No. 297 overall prospect, Wease is No. 299 and Walker is No. 315.

There are 257 picks in this year’s draft. Of course, the board won’t go chalk. It’s possible that all three Mizzou players, despite not having a top-257 ranking, could be picked. But, if it does happen, it’s likely to be late Saturday.

Rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft will begin at 11 a.m. CDT Saturday.