2025 NFL draft: Panthers predicted to pick WR whose pro comp is a Carolina legend

Pro Football Network mock draft has Carolina taking Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 30: Luther Burden III #3 of the Missouri Tigers looks on prior to the Transperfect Music City Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Nissan Stadium on December 30, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. / (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

We know the Carolina Panthers need all the help they can get on defense. Even after they upgrade their edge rotation and their interior defensive line group, they'll still need to find two upgrades at safety and some linebacker depth, to boot. Another major roster need is of course improving the wide receiver corps so that second-year QB Bryce Young can take the next step in his development.

There are a lot of different angles the Panthers front office could attack that need from, including signing the top wide receiver in the 2025 free agent class: Cincinnati's Tee Higgins. While Higgins is the best upgrade they might score this offseason, he would also be expensive and Carolina doesn't have a ton of cap room to play with.

Another route they could take is using their first-round draft pick (number eight overall) on the best wide receiver prospect on their board. Many analysts believe that's Arizona's Tet McMillan, but if he's not there the next-best name could be Luther Burden III from Missouri. In a new 2025 mock draft from Alan Goldsher at Pro Football Network, the Panthers make Burden the pick at 8.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 16: Luther Burden III #3 of the Missouri Tigers plays against the South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. / (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

PFN on Panthers-Burden

"Hey, Bryce Young might be good! But you know what would make the soon-to-be third-year quarterback better? A young speedster to line up opposite the aging Adam Thielen and the still-raw Xavier Legette. Despite my Carolina diss in the intro to this article, the Panthers finished the season on an upward trajectory, and a WR1-in-training might help maintain the momentum... Burden led the SEC in receiving yards as a sophomore in 2023 with 1,212 while adding nine touchdowns before dropping to just 676 yards in 2024."

Perhaps the most interesting portion of the mock pick is that Goldsher named Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. as Burden's best NFL comp.

It's healthy to be skeptical of any pro comp with a (should-be) Hall of Famer, but Burden has some serious skill. In 38 career college games Burden put up 192 catches, 2,263 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. As a rusher he added another four scores and 234 yards. For an encore, Burden scored another touchdown as a punt returner and averaged 10.5 yards per attempt in that role. The Panthers can certainly do worse with that first pick.

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