Potential Cowboys 1st-round 2025 NFL Draft target officially declares

A star SEC wide receiver who has been linked to the Dallas Cowboys in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft has officially declared and will be available this spring.

Nov 30, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III catches a pass for a two-point conversion against the Arkansas Razorbacks. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season in position to land a pick in the first half of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Many draftniks and fans alike believe the Cowboys will target a top playmaker with their first-round pick.

When you look at mock drafts, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who has said he would like to play for the Cowboys, and Missouri star wide receiver Luther Burden III have been the most common players mocked to Dallas.

MORE: Updated 2025 NFL Draft order following Sunday's Week 13 results

While it was a foregone conclusion, Burden has now officially entered the 2025 NFL Draft and will be available this spring. He will skip the team's bowl game. Burden confirmed the news to ESPN.com.

"I feel like this is the best time to enter the draft," Burden told ESPN. "I'm confident in myself and what I can do at the next level. I'm ready for the next step.

Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III warms up before a game against the Massachusetts Minutemen. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

"The ultimate goal was to come here and make a difference. I feel like I met my goal with everything that I set out before I got here. It was a pleasure being here. I will love Mizzou forever."

This season, Burden recorded 61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns. His best season was in 2023, hauling in 86 grabs for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.

Burden finishes his Missouri career with 192 receptions for 2,263 yards, and 25 total touchdowns (21 receiving, four rushing).

The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the first round on Thursday, April 24. Rounds 2 and 3 will be held on Friday, April 25, while the final rounds will play out on Saturday, April 26.

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