Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden III Fall to Jags, Pats in Mel Kiper's 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Two top wide receiver prospects are predicted to fall out of the first round in the latest 2025 NFL mock draft by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.

Kiper predicts that Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka will fall to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 36, while Missouri wideout Luther Burden III will come off the board to the New England Patriots at No. 38.

As Kiper notes, "three or fewer wide receivers have gone in Round 1 just three times in the past 10 drafts."

Kiper already projects that Colorado wideout/cornerback Travis Hunter (No. 2, Cleveland Browns), Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden (No. 16, Arizona Cardinals) and Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan (No. 20, Denver Broncos) will hear their names called in the first round.

Egbuka is listed as the No. 26 overall prospect on Bleacher Report's latest 2025 NFL Draft Big Board.

B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson comps him to Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Amon-Ra St. Brown as "a detailed and nuanced route runner to fill the 'chain mover' role in an NFL offense."

The Jaguars are reshaping their wide receiver room this offseason after trading Christian Kirk. Adding Egbuka alongside 2025 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. would give Liam Coen two young wideouts to work with in his first year as head coach.

Burden is meanwhile ranked as the No. 36 overall prospect on the latest B/R NFL Big Board.

Parson comps Burden, who dominated during the 2023 season but saw a drop-off in production in 2024, to Curtis Samuel and Randall Cobb as a playmaker who excels after the catch.

After adding a WR1 by acquiring Stefon Diggs this offseason, New England could give Drake Maye another potential target ahead of his second NFL season by targeting Burden in the upcoming draft.

The 2025 NFL draft is set to begin on April 24 in Green Bay.