The New York Giants made a splash acquisition this offseason when they swung a trade for Carolina Panthers star pass rusher Brian Burns, and immediately signed him to a five-year deal worth $141 million. The pairing of Burns with Kayvon Thibodeaux gives the Giants a dynamic look on the defensive front, and one of the game’s best defensive playmakers.
Giants: Brian Burns named among the top 10 of the league’s edge rushers
A recent survey conducted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shows that Burns is viewed as one of the league’s finest in the pass-rushing department, despite an otherwise down year for the 26-year-old.
Fowler surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the 10 best players at every position, with Burns coming in as the league’s 10th best pass rusher, three spots behind his No. 7 ranking last year.
“The consistent top-10 performer has one double-digit-sack season since 2019, and his last year in Carolina wasn’t stellar, leading to a trade to New York,” said Fowler in his assessment of Burns. “To be sure, a contentious contract standoff could have affected his play. And the Panthers rarely held leads, diminishing third-down rush opportunities. Burns is the only player in the top 10 without a single top-five vote.”
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Burns is off of a slightly down season in 2023
After being named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022, Burns took a slight step back in his final season with the Panthers. He accumulated just 8.0 sacks one year after collecting a career-high 12.5 sacks. Being that Burns will now join the aforementioned Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawerence on the Giants’ defensive line, it is possible that Burns returns to his 2022 form in his first season with Big Blue.
Nonetheless, Burns being named to the top 10 is still a rather big deal for the Giants considering that pass rushers are becoming a premium position in the NFL. As Fowler reports, pass rushers have only gotten better across the league with each passing year, making the decision of who made the cut significantly more difficult.
“Twenty-one different rushers — either 3-4 outside linebackers or 4-3 defensive ends — recorded at least ten sacks last season, compared to 13 a year ago,” writes Fowler.
“Five of those players blew past the 16-sack mark. Perhaps no player save quarterback can disrupt the flow of the game like a good pass rusher, which is why the market for even fringe top-10 players at this position pushes $30 million per year. Despite 25 different players earning at least one vote from league scouts, execs, and coaches in this year’s top 10 edge rushers, the top tiers were clear-cut.”
The Giants are hopeful that their latest investment can continue his top-10 production in his first season with the team. The trio of Burns, Thibodeaux, and Lawrence could give New York one of the most exciting and dynamic defensive lines in the NFL.
