Bucs steal elite WR prospect in latest 2025 NFL mock draft

See who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers land in this early first-round projection for the 2025 NFL draft

We’ve still got a few weeks of quiet before NFL training camps kick off across the league, and some are filling that space with early projections for next year’s draft.

The latest 2025 NFL mock draft comes from NFL Spin Zone, and it has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers landing quite a steal with their first-round selection.

This projection has the Bucs picking at No. 15 overall, and they manage to snatch Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III. Here’s how they broke down the pick:

In the 2024 NFL Draft, the wide receiver position was arguably the best in the draft, at least in terms of the top-end prospects. The 2025 draft class doesn’t have Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze – top 10 overall prospects – but a guy like Luther Burden is going to come in and make an immediate impact at the NFL level.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed veteran Mike Evans to a long-term deal this offseason, but Chris Godwin will be a free agent after the 2024 season and Burden could end up being the ideal replacement.

Even if the Bucs were to bring back Godwin on a short-term extension, Mike Evans will turn 32 next season, so they’ll have to think about adding top-end talent at receiver either way.

Burden has routinely been a top-10 lock in most early mock drafts, with many slotting him as a top-five pick. If he were to fall to the Bucs in the middle of the first round, it would be an easy pick.

To check out the full first-round mock draft at NFL Spin Zone, click here.

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