A return of our Summer Scouting Series here at Steelers Depot as we highlight 2024 NFL Draft hopefuls who are generating buzz prior to the start of the 2024 college football season. This year, we will highlight several position groups the Steelers may have interest and three to four names that could interest Pittsburgh once the pre-draft process gets underway. This edition: Wide Receiver
#3 LUTHER BURDEN III, WR, MISSOURI – 5-11, 208 POUNDS
As we sit here today, plenty of experts in the draft community are labeling Missouri’s Luther Burden III as the top wide receiver prospect in this upcoming draft class. The former five-star recruit out of St. Louis dominated both on the gridiron and on the hardwood, being a star basketball player and a football player. He had his choice of schools to attend, with Alabama and Georgia at the top of the list.
Still, Burden decided to stay close to home and committed to Missouri, where he caught 45 passes for 375 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman in 2022 before breaking out in 2023 to the tune of 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.
Burden is a similar player to former LSU WR Malik Nabers, who was just drafted as a top 10 pick by the New York Giants this spring, being a playmaker that can hurt you in a multitude of ways on offense. He has immediate burst on the snap of the football along with impressive long speed and acceleration to take the top off opposing defenses as well as take short passes the distance. He also has a thick, dense build that makes him a dangerous YAC threat after the catch, having also carried the ball in college 25 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
He lacks ideal height, but Burden is an electric playmaker with the ball in his hands and tracking it down the field, making him a versatile weapon NFL teams will desire in their offense next spring.
#4 TETAIROA MCMILLAN, WR, ARIZONA – 6-5, 210 POUNDS
The Arizona Wildcats had a great 2023 season, and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was a huge reason for the offense’s success. The 6-5, 210-pound height/weight/speed specimen dominated in his true sophomore season in the Pac-12, posting 90 receptions for 1,402 yards (15.6 YPR) and ten touchdowns.
The Waimanalo, Hawaii native prepped at Servite High School in California and became one of the best recruits in the country as a five-star prospect, according to Rivals, utilizing his combination of height and size to win down the field and in the red zone as well as after the catch as a YAC threat, having the juice and vision to create with the ball in his hands.
McMillan is an above-the-rim specialist, being a threat down the seam of the defense and in the end zone, thanks to his catch radius. He’s been productive since stepping onto the field during his freshman season at Arizona and is set up to have a great 2024 campaign, which could cement his status as a top-20 pick.
Built in a similar mold to Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, McMillan could do wonders for his draft stock if he continues to show refinement as a route runner on top of his physical gifts.
#2 EMEKA EGBUKA, WR, OHIO STATE – 6-1, 206 POUNDS
Emeka Egbuka was projected to be a top-ten pick at one point last season for the 2024 NFL Draft. He had a stellar sophomore campaign in 2022 for the Buckeyes, compiling 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with 11 carries for 85 yards and two scores on the ground. However, an ankle injury caused Egbuka to miss some time and to be hampered throughout the season, amassing only 515 yards and four receiving touchdowns, promoting him to return for his senior season in 2024.
Egbuka is a well-rounded receiver who has good size, speed, athleticism, and craftiness as a route runner to be utilized outside as well as in the slot. He has a thick build that makes him a problem after the catch for defenses, but he can also attack secondaries down the field with his speed.
He is regarded as the top dog in the Ohio State passing attack, and should he stay healthy for the 2024 campaign, his stats should return to their 2022 form, and his draft stock should be a likely first-round lock.
#7 EVAN STEWART, WR, OREGON – 6-0, 175 POUNDS
Evan Stewart transferred from Texas A&M to the Oregon Ducks this spring, giving Oregon another top playmaker on the outside after losing wide receiver Troy Franklin to the NFL Draft this spring. Stewart has a similar slender frame as Franklin, but in a shorter package, standing 6-0, 175 pounds at his listed height and weight.
However, the former five-star recruit from Memphis plays far bigger than his listed size would suggest, levitating above the rim on numerous contested catch situations and coming down with his share in combative situations against defensive backs, showcasing his leaping ability, body control, sideline awareness, and strong hands at the catch point.
Stewart is just a true junior and has only 91 receptions for 1,163 yards and six touchdowns through his first two seasons, but he’s a big-play threat waiting to happen.
Playing in a more dynamic offense like Oregon’s, where he can get more opportunities down the field as well as in the short and intermediate quadrants of the field where he can showcase more of his route running prowess, could lead to a big 2024 season, prompting him to declare early for the 2025 NFL Draft.
