Is Jermaine Burton the Most Underrated Wide Receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Photo Credit: University of Alabama
(Tuscaloosa, AL) The 2024 NFL Draft is merely nine days away. Since the beginning of each NFL draft, there are always diamonds found in the later rounds that break out as stars for their teams. Most recently, Puka Nacua, of the Los Angeles Rams, was a late-round flyer that burst onto the scene last season. Alabama’s Jermaine Burton may be one of the more underrated prospects in the 2024 draft class.
Burton competed at a high level with two of the premier teams in the SEC. He started his collegiate career at Georgia before transferring in his junior season to join the Crimson Tide and play for Alabama. Burton was a four-star prospect coming out of Calabasas High School in Southern California.
The only available numbers were from Burton’s 2018-19 high school season, and they were not very eye-popping. Nonetheless, Burton was still selected to play in the 2020 Under Armour All-American Game. Furthermore, his high school scouting report described him as a “dominant player at the next level and a natural talent with tremendous upside. He projects as an impact, upper-tier Power 5 starter and future high-round NFL draft pick,” according to 24/7 Sports.
During his time in the SEC, Burton’s numbers were, to say the least, average, with nothing that would make you jump off the couch. In two seasons with the Bulldogs, Burton only put up 404 yards in his freshman year and 497 yards in his sophomore year, along with eight touchdowns over those two seasons. However, during his time in Athens, Burton was in a wide receiver room with the likes of George Pickens, Adonai Mitchell, Ladd McConkey, and tight end Brock Bowers, who became the focal point of the Bulldogs’ offense after his impressive freshman season. Being the third or fourth receiver on the depth chart led Burton into the transfer portal, thus ending his time in Georgia.
Burton headed to Tuscaloosa for his junior season. While his numbers increased, he still didn’t break the thousand-yard mark with the Crimson Tide. He did show a slight increase in touchdown numbers, but it was nothing to write home about. However, at Alabama, Burton became a favorite among former Heisman-winning and first overall pick quarterback Bryce Young, and second-season starter Jalen Milroe. Furthermore, one statistic that has been eye-catching from Burton in his collegiate career has been his average yards per reception. Burton has been averaging 15 yards or better since his freshman season, with that number being at its highest during this past season at 20.5 yards per reception. When it comes to evaluating prospects, numbers are not everything. Burton’s film speaks volumes more than his numbers do.
On tape, Burton shows his great catch radius and plays bigger than his actual size. Burton has a good frame at six feet, 194 pounds, which allows him to play on the boundary. Burton also has very good speed, which allows him to win at all three levels, especially with his explosiveness as a downfield threat. This goes hand in hand with his ball-tracking ability and soft hands. Burton has a good amount of twitch when running routes, with his short-area quickness allowing him to win his reps. Burton’s testing at the combine was average, but his short-area quickness and explosiveness showed in the ten-yard split and broad jump. His forty-yard dash time was tied with first-round rookie and consensus top-five wide receiver Rome Odunze. Burton is by no means a perfect prospect. Frankly, a perfect prospect is extremely rare, but a good chunk of Burton’s game is something to write home about.
As mentioned before, there are areas in Burton’s game that need work, particularly his yards-after-catch ability, which is not all that present despite his impressive yards-per-reception numbers. Burton’s separation in press-man coverage needs improvement, and overall, if he could get stronger, it would help his game at the next level. The biggest knock to Burton’s draft stock is his character. Most notably, in 2022, Burton was involved in a situation after a loss to Tennessee where he struck a fan who was storming the field. He also has a tendency to taunt after a big play or reception, which will get flagged at the next level and cause a loss of yardage rather than a big gain. Nonetheless, many coaches have come out in support of Burton’s character, praising his passion and work ethic. It is interesting to consider how all aspects of Burton’s game will translate to the next level.
In terms of what Jermaine Burton could be in the NFL, he is definitely a player who could be seen as a deep threat. Burton would succeed in a vertical offense, allowing him to do what he does best: get open and go deep down the field for a big play or even a touchdown. Burton also has versatility, being able to return punts and kickoffs. Overall, there is no telling how Burton will pan out in the NFL. However, given that this is a deep wide receiver class, Burton could be a diamond in the rough in the late 2nd to early 3rd round next weekend. Jermaine Burton has all the abilities and potential to be an elite playmaker in the right system for an NFL offense, much like many great former Crimson Tide players before him.