The similarities between Tom Waddle and Luther Burden III end at the two playing wide receiver for the Bears and wearing No. 87.

Outside of that, the two players have entirely different skill sets. Waddle said it himself when he joined Marquee Sports Network Bears insider Scott Bair on the latest episode of “The Chicago Football Show” on Monday at Halas Hall.

“His athletic ability is undeniable,” Waddle said. “Second practice, I watched him, he’s built like DJ (Moore), so he’s very powerful. He’s not real tall, but he’s thick, he’s fast and he’s strong. He’s got a lot of wiggle inside. I think you will see him used a lot in the slot. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in the backfield.”

Waddle also dreamed of a scenario that had Caleb Williams in the shotgun and DJ Moore and Burden in the backfield while Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze were split out wide.

“As a defensive coordinator, good luck with that,” Waddle said. “I think that is some of the stuff that excites me.”

Burden started his training camp late due to a nagging hamstring injury he sustained during rookie minicamp in May. After he was cleared to practice, the rookie wide receiver learned the hard way about the details that head coach Ben Johnson demands. Johnson pulled Burden from a practice rep because of a pre-snap mistake.

To ensure Burden limits mistakes, he’s been getting to Halas Hall early, doing walkthroughs with the quarterbacks. That extra effort paid off, as the 6-foot, 210-pound receiver showed everyone why he was deserving of being a Day 1 pick instead of the No. 39 overall selection in last Thursday’s practice. Burden created separation from defensive backs and displayed precise body control to make catches near the sideline.

“I feel like I can do everything in his offense,” Burden told reporters last Thursday. “I’m just really trying to get my feet wet, get situated on the field and learn my playbook really. I feel like everything else will take care of itself.”

Burden’s physical skillset excites Waddle and that is amplified because Johnson is the play caller.

“Not only are there a ton of talented skilled players like Luther Burden,” Waddle said. “They’re going to be coordinated by a guy who orchestrated a top-5 offense in each of the last three years in Ben Johnson up in Detroit.”