The Chicago Bears are arguably the most improved team in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. Chicago made several big additions this offseason that will have an impact right away. The Bears brought in Ben Johnson as their next head coach, which should give their offense a huge shot in the arm.
Johnson did not waste much time putting his stamp on the roster. The Bears quickly upgraded their offensive line through a series of trades and free agent signings. Johnson enjoyed one of the best offensive lines in the league while in Detroit, and he clearly wants to do the same in Chicago.
The Bears also got a whole lot better in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Chicago brought in a talented rookie class during the 2025 NFL Draft. Ben Johnson made it a priority to give himself more toys to play with. The Bears added tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III with their first two selections. Now Johnson will have arguably more to work with in Chicago than he had in Detroit.
The first step in the journey for most of Chicago’s rookies was rookie minicamp.
Not everyone was able to participate. For example, first-round pick Colston Loveland did not participate because he is recovering from shoulder surgery. He was still in attendance but observed from the sidelines.
But which rookies look the best at Chicago’s rookie minicamp? Is there anything we can learn from our first look at these rookies before training camp?
Below we will explore one Bears rookie who stood out during 2025 rookie minicamp earlier in May.
Luther Burden III is ready to make a big impact during his rookie season with Bears
The Bears have to be excited about the addition of Luther Burden III into their offense.
Chicago selected Burden with the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The speedster out of Missouri was regarded as a first-round pick by some NFL draft analysts, so it was great to see Chicago scoop him up in the second round.
Burden has great short-area quickness and long speed, making him a dangerous vertical threat. He hauled in 61 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns during his final 10 starts at Missouri in 2024. He did not play in the Music City Bowl because he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is a big fan of Luther Burden III.
“He’s an explosive athlete,” Doyle said via The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain. “He’s really exciting. His tape was really impressive in college. He’s a playmaker and when the ball’s in his hands, he was one of the best guys that we evaluated in this process.”
Burden stood out because of his impressive play on the field. Fishbain reports that Burden had the highlight play of Saturday’s practice, hauling in a deep pass.
The rookie was reportedly slow to get up after the play. Thankfully, he was able to return for Sunday’s practice on May 11th.
Burden does have some extra motivation over other Bears rookies. He thought he would be a first-round pick, but he fell to the top of the second round.
Burden admitted that he plans to use that chip on his shoulder as motivation during his rookie season. It may even stay with him throughout his NFL career.
“No, that’s staying with me forever,” Burden said. “Everybody who passed up on me has got to pay.”
It will be exciting to see if that motivation translates into results on the football field later this fall.
Could Luther Burden III play the Jameson Williams role in Ben Johnson’s offense?
But what role could Burden have in Chicago offense as a rookie?
Looking back at Johnson’s time in Detroit, Burden’s skills seem to match those of Lions WR Jameson Williams.
Oddly enough, Burden and Williams already know each other. They were teammates at Cardinal Ritter College Prep in St. Louis, Missouri.
“He was a senior, I was a freshman,” Burden said. “We got a great relationship throughout my career because he was someone I can ask for advice if I needed it, and we always work out together and stuff like that.”
Williams reached out to Burden to let him know that he’ll love playing with Ben Johnson.
“He told me I’m going to love it, so let’s go,” Burden said.
If Burden does end up playing the Jameson Williams role, he could be a large part of Chicago’s offense during his rookie season.
Williams had a breakout season in 2024, hauling in 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns. He occasionally ran the ball on end arounds and other trick plays.
The Bears likely won’t give Burden that many targets during his rookie season, but it may be the role he will eventually play in Chicago.
Bears fans should expect the Bears to use Burden as primarily a deep threat specialist during his rookie season. This could change throughout the season as he becomes more comfortable in Johnson’s scheme.
Either way, it will be exciting to see what Ben Johnson’s offense looks like in Chicago later this fall.
