Selecting Zay Flowers in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft rated as a rare success at wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, but now’s the time to repeat the trick.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta can do Flowers a favor by selecting Luther Burden III in the first round of this year’s draft. The Missouri “speedster is dangerous in open space. His explosiveness and short area quickness should help the Ravens ease the return of Zay Flowers, who will be coming back from a serious injury in 2025,” according to The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly.
It’s significant Kelly listed the Ravens’ primary needs as “OG, Edge, CB, D-line.” All of those positions could use an infusion of talent, but taking Burden with the 27th-overall pick would be a classic case of choosing the best player available.
The strategy has served the Ravens well in the past, but there are questions about whether it makes sense this time. Especially after DeCosta signed proven go-to target DeAndre Hopkins in 2025 NFL free agency.
His addition gives the Ravens flexibility to draft for need if a BPA would happen to address one of their primary weaknesses.
Luther Burden III a Good Complement for Zay Flowers
Burden possesses similar after-catch skills to Flowers, but the prolific member of this draft class offers greater size. He’s 6-foot and 208 pounds, compared to 5-foot-9, 175-pound Flowers.
What’s intriguing about Burden’s playing style is how he was used by the Tigers. As NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein described, “Missouri exploited Burden’s yards-after-catch talent with a barrage of short throws, but NFL teams are much more likely to diversify his usage, activating his complete skill set and big-play potential.”
Even though Zierlein envisages an expanded role in the pros, the Ravens wouldn’t need to ask Burden to do too much. He could simply work underneath and between the numbers in tandem with Flowers.
Their partnership would ease the Ravens’ reliance on Flowers. He was missed after a knee injury denied him the chance to compete in last season’s playoffs.
Throwing less to Flowers will be easier when Hopkins is raring to go for his new team. The 32-year-old five-time Pro Bowler can still be a menace on the perimeter, while Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken has Rashod Bateman and Devontez Walker to stretch the field vertically.
This many options means the Ravens don’t need Burden. Yes, he’s a dynamic playmaker, but his dynamism should be weighed against the help the Ravens need at other spots.
Ravens Need First-Round Help Elsewhere
There’s room for the Ravens to draft help at left guard. It’s a position that could still be addressed in free agency, but DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh may not feel that way about edge-rusher.
A young understudy to learn from 33-year-old team leader Kyle Van Noy would be welcome. Particularly if the Ravens decide one of last season’s breakout players is worthy of being traded before he enters the veteran market next year.
Edge-rusher makes the most sense for first-round attention, but there are also gaps on the cornerback depth chart. All-Pro Marlon Humphrey and second-year cover man Nate Wiggins, last season’s first-rounder, should have a lock on the starting spots, but the Ravens need a quality third corner.
DeCosta will only be able to overlook this many positions of need if he’s convinced one particular prospect is too good to miss in the opening round. Burden could fit the bill, but Hopkins’ arrival makes it more likely the Ravens go trenches first.
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