Missouri WR Luther Burden III to skip bowl, enter NFL draft - ESPN

Missouri star Luther Burden III is declaring for the NFL Draft, he told ESPN.

Burden wraps up his three-year career at Missouri as one of the program's most productive players and a transformative recruit who helped the school go 20-5 the last two years. He will not play in Missouri's bowl game and will begin preparing for the NFL Draft.

The decision is expected as it comes after Burden walked on Senior Day in Missouri's home finale against Arkansas this weekend, which finished Missouri's season at 9-3. Burden is projected as Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 19 overall player in the upcoming draft and will be in the contention for the draft's top wide receiver.

«I feel like this is the best time to enter the draft,» Burden told ESPN. «I'm confident in myself and what I can do at the next level. I'm ready for the next step.»

All of ESPN's draft analysts have Burden ranked in the top three wide receivers in the upcoming draft with Colorado's Travis Hunter and Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan. Burden projects as ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller's No. 1 receiver. Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz has compared Burden, who is 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, in style to San Francisco's Deebo Samuel.

After just three seasons at Missouri, Burden will leave as one of the program's most prolific and productive receivers. He's No. 6 on the school's all-time receiving list (2,263 yards), tied for No. 5 in receiving touchdowns (21) and No. 4 in receptions (192).

«The ultimate goal was to come here and make a difference,» Burden said. «I feel like I met my goal with everything that I set out before I got here. It was a pleasure being here. I will love Mizzou forever.»

Burden expressed his appreciation for his time at Missouri. He thanked his position coach, Jacob