Green Bay is pumped, too. Director of college scouting Matt Malaspina has been watching Burton for years after first hearing about him from former Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford, Malaspina’s former colleague in San Francisco.
Burton demonstrated his versatility and coachability while starting at all three interior offensive line spots. His five-star traits showed up in the pre-draft process, as well.
After working with renowned trainer Bill Welle, Burton ran a 4.94-second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 1.76-second split. Asked what stands out most about Burton, Malaspina answers without hesitation.
“He’s got really good size, speed, flexibility, toughness. The traits that you look for in an offensive lineman,” Malaspina said.
“He does his job. He does it at a comfort level, not a panic level. He’s a big dude. He’s a big guy, which is what we love. I was very pleased that he was there. I never, ever would have thought he would be there. It was a win for us.”
Burton set the bar high for himself when he arrived on Kentucky’s campus in 2021, starting 13 games at left guard and becoming the first Wildcat offensive linemen to earn Freshman All-SEC honors since Logan Stenberg in 2016.
The next year, Burton made starts at both right guard and center before sliding back to left guard in 2024. He put his football IQ and communication skills to the test last fall with his 12 starts at center.
Playing early in the SEC pressure-cooker, Burton categorizes his college career as “a little bit of a rocky road.” He credits his parents and loved ones for their support early on and feels it made him stronger in the long run.
“Just being a highly rated guy from Kentucky and staying home, just the expectations that came with that, I didn’t really feel like I met those when I was younger,” Burton said.
“That was something I kind of struggled with and was upset with myself at, so just being able to have them to lean on and talk to them about what’s going on in terms of football or just life, and have them to be there to lean on to get me to where I’m at now.”
