The soul of the New York Giants has always been their dominant pass rush, a variable they have lacked over the past few years. However, general manager Joe Schoen made a blockbuster move to acquire young defensive lineman Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.
Brian Burns Joins the Giants
Burns is an ascending talent at just 26. The Giants immediately signed him to a five-year contract for $141 million, including $87.5 million guaranteed. This past season for the Panthers, he played 814 snaps, collecting 40 pressures and 10 sacks with 30 tackles. Playing for an awful Carolina team certainly didn’t support his production, but Burns has the bend and agility off the edge to be an elite player.
Teammate Praises Burns’ Impact
Recently, new offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor spoke on the impact of Burns and what he brings to the table.
“Dawg,” he said, via the New York Post. “It may look like he’s a little tired, which I’ve learned, even if he looks tired, he’s still gonna go hard as hell on that rep. I’m used to that, going against Maxx, the man never gets tired.”
His positive comments didn’t stop there, noting his incredible athleticism.
“He’s really frikkin’ fast around the edge,” Eluemunor said, “and he can bend the corner really well. For a tackle, especially a tackle like me, it makes me really have to hone in on him and make sure that every single rep I take and every single set is perfect. He makes you have to be perfect, like there’s no room for error when you’re going against him.”
Forming a Dynamic Duo
In fact, the Giants are hoping they can produce a dynamic pass-rush duo composed of Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux, 23, has spent the offseason developing chemistry with Burns. This past season, he played 981 snaps, collecting 43 pressures, 13 sacks, and 25 tackles.
Former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale heavily relied on unique blitz packages that sent defensive backs and linebackers to create confusion. Shane Bowen, the team’s new defensive coordinator, has a more simplistic scheme that will rely on generating pressure through the front four.
Simplified Defensive Strategy
In other words, Kayvon and Burns will have the green light to be primary rushers from the outside linebacker position instead of dropping into coverage and doing different things to create opportunities for others. Of course, Dexter Lawrence, arguably the best defensive tackle in football with Aaron Donald retiring, should command significant double teams and open up 1V1 situations for the outside rushers.
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High Expectations for the Giants’ Defense
The Giants have a unit that has top-5 potential and they certainly have the talent to go with those expectations.