The Houston Texans will have an interesting decision ahead of them with their 25th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Texans' roster is one with standout talent on both ends of the field, and it shows with their 10-7 finish in the standings and two playoff wins for the past two seasons. Yet, holes around the 53-man group remain to hold this team back from their Super Bowl ceiling, and with that, their first-rounder becomes ever so important in adding cheap, young talent to inch closer to the ultimate goal.
And with an unpredictable class of prospects to unpack in the coming weeks, the Texans may have a chance to get lucky with a faller down the board when the draft arrives in just under two weeks. That's exactly how things unfolded in NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks' latest NFL mock draft.
In Brooks' 2.0 mock, the Texans brought in a strong answer for their wide receiver room questions, going with Luther Burden at their 25th-overall selection.
"If the Texans don't retain Stefon Diggs-- the impending free agent who's still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in late October -- this Missouri standout would be a perfect replacement as an electric catch-and-run specialist," said Brooks.
For a team who will have a considerable amount of concerns to address at the receiver position this offseason, leaning on both the free agency of Stefon Diggs and the uncertain health of Tank Dell, receiver will be high on the priority list for Houston to get right over the coming months. By picking up a top prospect at the position with a top-25 pick, that provides a strong boost of confidence.
Burden had a nice year at Missouri last season for his junior campaign, posting 61 catches, 676 reception yards, and six touchdowns. At a 5-foot-11 size with elite athleticism and ball skills, he has the means to hold down the fort in the slot as a dangerous option next to Nico Collins, and can remain a factor in the offense for the foreseeable future.
Between improvements at the receiver position, upgrades on the offensive line, or even making some tweaks elsewhere on the roster, the Texans will have their hands full when pondering what to do with their first rounder this year. But, if Burden is up for grabs when Houston's time rolls around, he'll be worthy of an extensive look.
The NFL Draft will kick off on Thursday, April 24th in Green Bay.
