How the Chicago Bears’ Luther Burden III can make an impact as a rookie

At the end of the first night of the NFL draft in April, Luther Burden III went to work out. Burden, accompanied by his girlfriend, left his draft party and they made their way over to Missouri’s practice facility. There he worked out late at night as his girlfriend refilled the “Jugs” machine with footballs.

The workout wasn’t how Burden planned on spending the end of the first round of the draft. In his mind, he was a first-round pick. Instead, the Bears ended up selecting him in the second round.

“That’s staying with me forever,” Burden said over the weekend during the Bears’ rookie minicamp. “Everybody who passed on me has to pay.”

How much Burden will make teams pay this fall remains to be seen. Bears general manager Ryan Poles surprised many by selecting Burden in the second round. The Bears wide receiver room already featured DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Poles also had just selected tight end Colston Loveland in the first round to pair up with tight end Cole Kmet.

But Burden has the potential to become a valuable target for quarterback Caleb Williams when he does get on the field.

Burden could fill the same safety-net role Keenan Allen did for Williams last season. When Moore and Odzune were covered or a play broke down quickly, Williams usually looked to get the ball to the veteran receiver out of the slot. Allen finished second on the team with 744 receiving yards on 70 receptions and 121 targets.

Burden’s skills should help him fill the role seamlessly. Both Bears head coach Ben Johnson and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle praised Burden’s speed and ability to pick up yards after the catch, touting him as one of the top prospects they evaluated during this draft process.

“It’s rare to see somebody with his movement skills,” Johnson said. “He can stop on a dime and accelerate just like that. Give him a little bit of space and he can make big things happen. So a dangerous player, weapon, call him what you want, but I see big things in his future.”

That big future might not be limited to the wide receiver position. Burden was a lead punt returner for Missouri during his freshman season before doing it less often over the next two seasons. He returned 24 punts for 252 yards over three seasons, returning one for a touchdown his freshman year.

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower told reporters Sunday that Burden is in the open competition for the team’s punt returner job. The Bears previously signed former All-Pro returner Devin Duvernay during the offseason.

Much like Johnson and Doyle see how Burden’s skillset can make an impact offensively, Hightower felt the same on special teams.

“He’s going to have a chance just like everyone else, but you see it on offense, and you saw it in college, how electric he is with the ball in his hand,” Hightower said. “Like he’s a different dude with the ball in his hand. So, all we’re looking for are playmakers that’ll help us change field position and win games.”

Burden’s development started this past weekend at rookie minicamp and will continue over the next month. He’ll have a chance to work with Bears coaches and his new teammates during offseason training activities and a mandatory minicamp during the first week of June.

Doyle said the Bears aren’t treating Burden any different from other rookies to assimilate him to not being the team’s No. 1 target. In the Bears’ view, Burden has to learn the team’s system and how they do things first, then they’ll worry about snap counts.

“It’s not like, ‘Hey, you’re coming in to have this amount of targets,’ it’s, ‘Hey, let’s get him in here, let’s get him competing, just like everybody else is competing,’ ” Doyle said. “Then, when it comes time in the fall, that’s when we’re going to decide who’s going to touch it and who’s going to give us the best chance to have success.”

Wherever and whenever he plays, Burden told reporters over the weekend that he’s going to make an impact this fall. He wasn’t worried about not being the Bears’ top target and planned to draw upon his experience of playing without the ball as much as he wanted.

“That’s staying with me forever. Everybody who passed on me has to pay.”

—  Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears wide receiver

Burden earned national attention as a sophomore when he led the Tigers with 1,212 receiving yards, which ranked third in the SEC. Because of that success, opponents double-teamed Burden for much of his junior season, and he finished second on the Tigers with 676 receiving yards, but led the team with six touchdowns.

The dip in numbers might’ve helped Burden fall to the Bears in the second round. But they also taught Burden a valuable lesson as he tries to make an impact in a limited role.

“To just take every opportunity you get, just try to fulfill it to the best you can,” Burden said. “My mindset is every time I get the ball, I’m trying to make the play caller give me the ball some more. I’m just trying to make a play.”