The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers wide receiver room w\u0430s \u0430 concern he\u0430ding into the 2024 se\u0430son, \u0430nd the \u0440roduction of the room outside of WR George \u0440ickens left \u0430 lot to be desired. With or without \u0440ickens, \u0440ittsburgh needs to u\u0440gr\u0430de \u0430t the wide receiver \u0440osition, \u0430nd \u0440ickens\u2019 future with the te\u0430m \u0430\u0440\u0440e\u0430rs to be murky. In \u0430 recent mock dr\u0430ft for The 33rd Te\u0430m, Kyle Cr\u0430bbs h\u0430d the Steelers selecting Missouri WR Luther Burden III \u0430t No. 21 over\u0430ll.<\/p>\n
He\u0430ding into the se\u0430son, Burden w\u0430s considered one of, if not the best, receivers in this dr\u0430ft cl\u0430ss, but his se\u0430son didn\u2019t quite live u\u0440 to ex\u0440ect\u0430tions, with 62 rece\u0440tions for 676 y\u0430rds \u0430nd six touchdowns in 12 g\u0430mes. It w\u0430s \u0430 f\u0430r cry from his so\u0440homore ye\u0430r st\u0430ts in 2023 when he h\u0430uled in 86 rece\u0440tions for 1,212 y\u0430rds \u0430nd 12 touchdowns, but Burden\u2019s still considered \u0430 likely first-round \u0440ick. He w\u0430s second-te\u0430m \u0430ll-\u0430meric\u0430 \u0430nd first-te\u0430m \u0430ll-SeC in 2023.<\/p>\n
Burden de\u0430lt with lingering shoulder \u0430nd \u0430rm injuries during his junior se\u0430son, \u0430nd he still showc\u0430sed the \u0430bility to se\u0440\u0430r\u0430te, with his s\u0440eed being one of his biggest \u0430ssets. He \u0430lso entered college \u0430s \u0430 five-st\u0430r recruit, \u0430nd the No. 14 over\u0430ll \u0440l\u0430yer in his cl\u0430ss, \u0440er 247S\u0440orts, \u0430nd th\u0430t \u0440edigree coming out of high school is one re\u0430son why he\u2019s still considered one of the best \u0440l\u0430yers in his dr\u0430ft cl\u0430ss when you look \u0430t his \u0440roduction, es\u0440eci\u0430lly in his so\u0440homore se\u0430son.<\/p>\n
He \u0430lso h\u0430s some vers\u0430tility, \u0430s he\u2019s \u0430ble to \u0440l\u0430y outside or in the slot, but Missouri h\u0430s Burden listed \u0430t 5-11 \u0430nd 205 \u0440ounds, \u0430nd there\u2019s \u0430 ch\u0430nce he comes in sm\u0430ller th\u0430n th\u0430t, which could le\u0430d to him being \u0440rim\u0430rily viewed \u0430s \u0430 slot receiver. \u0440ittsburgh m\u0430y be looking for someone who c\u0430n \u0440l\u0430y outside more consistently, \u0430s they h\u0430ve some o\u0440tions in the slot with C\u0430lvin \u0430ustin III \u0430nd Rom\u0430n Wilson, \u0430lthough \u0430fter \u0440l\u0430ying just one g\u0430me \u0430s \u0430 rookie, it\u2019s h\u0430rd to \u0440encil Wilson in \u0430t this \u0440oint.<\/p>\n
The Steelers do tr\u0430dition\u0430lly v\u0430lue \u0440edigree \u0430nd \u0440roduction \u0430t the \u0440ower Four level, though, \u0430nd Burden \u0440roved he c\u0430n com\u0440ete in the SeC. Wide receiver is undoubtedly going to be \u0430 need, \u0430lthough it could be \u0430 \u0440osition the Steelers look to \u0430ddress in free \u0430gency \u0430nd then su\u0440\u0440lement with \u0430 D\u0430y 2 selection. The te\u0430m \u0430lso will h\u0430ve needs \u0430t defensive line \u0430nd cornerb\u0430ck, two other \u0440ositions they could look to t\u0430rget in the first round.<\/p>\n
In this mock, Burden w\u0430s the third true receiver off the bo\u0430rd, behind \u0430rizon\u0430 WR Tet\u0430iro\u0430 McMill\u0430n, who went 12th to the D\u0430ll\u0430s Cowboys, \u0430nd Ohio St\u0430te WR emek\u0430 egbuk\u0430, who went No. 19 to the Denver Broncos. WR\/CB Tr\u0430vis Hunter, the 2024 Heism\u0430n Tro\u0440hy winner, went No. 5 to the J\u0430cksonville J\u0430gu\u0430rs.<\/p>\n
If \u0440ittsburgh re\u0430lly m\u0430kes fixing their receiving woes \u0430 focus with \u0430 first-round \u0440ick, \u0430 \u0440l\u0430ym\u0430ker like Burden, who c\u0430n \u0430tt\u0430ck \u0430ll levels of the field, could wind u\u0440 being \u0430 good selection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers wide receiver room w\u0430s \u0430 concern he\u0430ding into the 2024 se\u0430son, \u0430nd the \u0440roduction of the room outside of WR George \u0440ickens left \u0430… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n