The 2025 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away, so as we continue to draw near to one of the biggest weekends on the sports calendar, new stories and scrutiny will pop up wherever you look.
The Oregon Ducks are expected to have a great draft, with as many as 10 or more players expected to be selected at some point throughout the weekend. Guys like Josh Conerly, Derrick Harmon, Tez Johnson, and Terrance Ferguson lead the way as far as draft prospects go, but there is a long list of Ducks who will likely hear their name called.
Leading up to the draft, we are getting more intel about how NFL general managers and scouts view the players available. On Wednesday, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman released a mock draft, including some exclusive intel that he got from college coaches and NFL sources in regards to the specific players.
Feldman's mock has Oregon's Derrick Harmon going to the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 16 pick, and Jordan Burch going to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 37. It's what an anonymous source said about Burch and his NFL future that is the most notable, though.
“When he wants to go, he’s a first-round talent,” a Big Ten offensive line coach told Feldman. “His deficiency is that he’s really like a 3-4 defensive end, but I don’t think he sees himself like that. It’s like he just wants to be a speed rusher. He doesn’t play that hard. He has a self-governor on. He is a really good player, but I don’t think he’s elite from what we saw and what I saw on tape."
In his two years at Oregon, Burch played in 24 games, totaling 65 tackles, 19 TFL, and 11.5 sacks. He struggled with injuries a bit in 2024, but was still one of the most dominant players on the field for the Ducks.
“You’d see him out there at defensive end, and he’s gigantic. He’s freaky," the anonymous coach continued. "He can bend around the corner, but if he was really a dude, you’d think he would’ve come out by now.”
The criticism may be fair, seeing as Burch hasn't quite reached the high ceiling that he's had ever since coming out of high school as a highly-rated 5-star prospect. But that doesn't mean he won't ultimately reach that ceiling and be an incredibly talented piece for whichever NFL team drafts him.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks DL Jordan Burch gets bold review from Big Ten OL coach
