New York Giants star linebacker Brian Burns sees the 2024 NFL season as a ripe opportunity to take his output to new levels. Burns is an elite talent entering his sixth season in the NFL. The Florida native is coming off of a 2023 campaign that saw him collect eight sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble for the Carolina Panthers.
The height of Burns’ career came in 2022, when his 12.5 sacks earned him his second career Pro Bowl nod and were accompanied by career-highs in total tackles (63), quarterback hits (22), and tackles for loss (17). Despite those gargantuan numbers, Burns envisions himself showing the NFL world an even better side of his game next time out.
Giants: EDGE Brian Burns thinks his best years are ahead of him
The 26-year-old talent had this to say to CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones at Giants camp on Thursday about where he feels he is at in his career and the room he has to grow as a top-tier defender in the trenches moving forward:
“I really don’t feel like I tapped into my ceiling. I feel like I’m just scratching the surface,” Burns said. “I feel like I’m really entering my prime, honestly. I feel like there’s so much more I can get better at.”
“There’s so much more I can improve on. Those numbers are gonna skyrocket once I do.”
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Will Burns clean up deficiencies and have a career-year in New York?
Burns will be looked to for leadership and standout production in the Giants’ defensive scheme. He will be joined by fellow standout defenders Kayvon Thibodeaux and Bobby Okereke behind their four-man rush. They, along with Second Team All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, will make Burns’ life much easier in 2024.
The attention that Thibodeaux, who notched 11.5 sacks in 2023 and is gunning for Giants legend Michael Strahan’s single-season sacks record, Okereke, and Lawrence, the latter of whom earned a sensational 92.9 player grade from Pro Football Focus on 2023, will garner will prevent defenses from keying in on Burns with double coverage.
The former No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft got his first taste of action this summer in the Giants’ 28-10 preseason Week 2 blowout loss to the Houston Texans. He greased his wheels with one tackle on the affair, but could give the NFL world a better sneak preview of the dominance he is determined to put on display in 2024 during their penultimate preseason matchup against the New York Jets on Saturday.
