New York Giants OLB Brian Burns Named Among Top Edge Rushers in New Survey

Burns was the Giants' biggest addition of the offseason.

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns (0) during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants’ $141 million pass rusher, Brian Burns, is a player they believe can reinvigorate a defense and create havoc with counterpart Kayvon Thibodeaux. Pass rushers might be the next most valuable position outside of quarterback in this pass-heavy era.

This is shown in the Giants' investment in Burns, who is a perennial threat to get double-digit sacks. Burns's value is revered not only within the Giants' organization but league-wide.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler conducted a recent survey among league executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the Top 10 players at 11 positions, and the competition to determine the league’s best edge rushers was intense.

"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," Fowler wrote. 

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"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."

Burns made the Top 10, at the final spot, falling three spots from last year's No. 7 ranking. He might have ranked higher–perhaps even as high as the top 5.  

"Burns looked poised to crack the top five but lost momentum, needing tiebreakers to take the 10th spot," Fowler said. 

"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. 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."

Last season, Burns had 8.5 sacks, a decline from the 12.5 he got in his 2022 campaign. With Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence II on the field with him to form the three-headed pass-rushing attack for the Giants, Burns can potentially reach the level of his 2022 season and perhaps surpass it.  

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