Many boards had Burden as the second-best true receiver behind Tetairoa McMillan, and many expected him to be a mid-to-late first-round pick a few weeks ago. Burden is an excellent receiver with the ball in his hands, with the ability to earn plenty of yards after the catch. He can stop on a dime, break free of tacklers, and be a threat to make plays deep thanks to his 4.41 40-yard-dash speed. Burden can even carry the ball, rushing nine times for 115 yards and two scores in 2024. The man can seemingly do it all.

The best part of bringing Burden aboard is that he gets to learn from Moore, someone who has a similar skillset and has been utilized in a similar fashion, as well as Antwaan Randle El, who developed Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit. It’s a fantastic situation for him. Snagging Burden also gives Johnson a plethora of opportunities to move guys around, create mismatches, and keep the defense on their toes with the versatile options they have as receiving options. The Bears have an abundance of riches, and Moore is the oldest one of all of them at just 28 years old.

Burden is phenomenal, but it’s fair to wonder if the Bears should have drafted for need instead. Offensive line and defensive line still needed help, and running back is thin, too. It’s a valid argument, and building a franchise from the outside in is risky. But when a gifted playmaker like Burden falls in your lap, sometimes you have to take him and figure out the rest later.

There are many new faces on offense at pretty much every position. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for this group to jell and build chemistry together. When that happens, though, this could be the best offense the Bears have ever had. It’s up to Johnson and Williams to get them there. The pieces are falling into place, however, and Burden could be their jack-of-all-trades.