Chicago Bears rookie earns Super Bowl wide receiver comparison

Ben Johnson is looking to elevate the Chicago Bears offense to a level that hasn’t been seen before. Having a player who operates like A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles would certainly go a long way in helping Johnson achieve their goal.

That’s exactly what the Bears were hoping for when they selected Luther Burden with the No. 39 overall pick. While the team already had DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the roster, Burden brings an entirely different element to the operation. Furthermore, he usually operates out of the slot, meaning all three can co-exist.

During his time at Missouri, Burden worked extensively with wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler. From their initial meetings, Peeler saw some of Brown’s game in the wide receiver, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN. The coach worked with Brown during their time together at Ole Miss.

Peeler had Brown playing out of the slot, which helped him become the school’s leading receiver. A similar move with Burden helped him reach new heights. While it’s unfair to say Burden is a one-for-one recreation of Brown, the Bears certainly had the image in their head when they turned in their pick at No. 39.

“Missouri wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler saw some of the same traits in Burden that he saw in Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown, whom Peelers coached at Ole Miss,” Cronin wrote.

“After Brown’s first season at Ole Miss, where he lined up predominantly out wide, Peeler moved him into the slot, which resulted in back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and Brown becoming the school’s all-time leading receiver.”

“Peeler did the same for Burden, and it paid immediate dividends with the 6-foot receiver running 75% of his routes from the slot during the 2023 and 2024 seasons,” Cronin concluded. “As a sophomore, Burden had 1,212 receiving yards, one more than Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who was the first receiver drafted (fourth overall) in 2024.”

Luther Burden gives Chicago Bears elite playmaker 

Burden moved to the slot heading into the 2023 campaign. That season, he set new career-highs in receptions (86) yards (1,212) and touchdowns (nine). His senior year saw his numbers drop to 61 receptions, 676 yards and six touchdowns. However, Missouri dealt with rocky quarterback play all season. Burden, like he was in 2023, was ultimately named First-team All-SEC.

The Bears finished their 2024 season ranked second-to-last in passing offense in 2024, averaging just 181.5 yards per game. Fans and analysts have complained about how now with Burden, Chicago has too many cooks in the kitchen. However, Johnson is trying to be as explosive as possible on offense. And there may not have been a better after-the-catch option in the 2025 class.

Now, living up to AJ Brown’s standards are an entirely different story. In helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl, he caught 67 passes for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a three-time Pro Bowler. While the Bears are hoping Burden reaches those marks, he’ll still be eased into the offense as a rookie.

But if Burden develops how Johnson and the Bears expects, he will be an explosive option for Caleb Williams. Opposing defenses will have a difficult time stopping Burden, Moore and Odunze, not to mention tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. If the rookie wide receiver ever finds himself in space, he’ll be ready to make a big play.