2025 NFL Draft first impression: Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

Deion Burks is one of the top transfers in the country at wide receiver. Moving from Purdue to Oklahoma for the 2024 season could really raise BUrks’ draft profile, provided he can continue to produce and demonstrate the skills that make him appealing already.

Burks led Purdue in receptions (47), receiving yards (629) and TDs (7) as a sophomore in 2023. He primarily played on the outside and worked the deeper/intermediate routes despite being built more like a slot receiver.

Burks made the annual Bruce Feldman “Freaks” list thanks to his prodigious weight room stats. He can squat 540 pounds and bench 400 as a 5-foot-9, 191-pound wideout. He’s been GPS times at over 22 MPH. All those traits make Burks appear to be custom-made for playing the slot, but he fared pretty well working outside in the Big Ten.

Now he’s moving to Oklahoma and the SEC. The Sooners have a different style of passing attack from Purdue, and that could be great for Burks’ development and draft potential. His top speed and lower-body strength are a very impressive combination. Burks showed that off at Oklahoma’s spring game.

As any Purdue fan will tell you, Burks doesn’t have reliable hands yet. He doesn’t always look the ball into his hands and gets antsy with defenders right on him, creating too many contested catch drops (either 8 or 9 on 95 targets, depending on your source). It would be helpful for Burks to develop a little more creativity after the catch; most of his YAC comes from out-athleting the defense instead of being a crafty or great runner. His vision and sense of defensive angles isn’t great, but at his top-end speed it doesn’t always matter.

Burks has first-round upside for the 2025 NFL Draft if his transition to Oklahoma comes anything close to how well the reports out of Norman indicate it’s going. Getting that drop rate down and showing more consistent footwork and separation would go a long way toward cementing Burks as a first-rounder…if he chooses to declare.