Expectations for Brian Burns in 2020

What will the upcoming season hold for the Panthers young edge rusher?

Last spring, the Carolina Panthers used their first round pick on Florida State defensive end Brian Burns. Adding a true pass rusher was something the organization wanted to have in their back pocket for years to come.

Burns got off to a fairly hot start in his rookie season totaling 15 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss through the first six games of the season. Weeks seven through ten, Burns kind of plummeted back to Earth. He wasn't able to apply pressure on the quarterback consistently and saw his usage on defense go down during that time.

He found his groove again toward the back-half of the season and finished pretty strong despite the numbers not truly proving it. Burns finished the year with 25 tackles, 7.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. 

If there were two words to describe Burns' rookie season it would be 'inconsistent' and 'promising'. Doesn't sound like these two words should go together when evaluating the future of a player, but that's where we are. Burns has a lot of potential to be a star in this league, he just has to string together better snaps, possessions, quarters, halves, and weeks to take that next step.

So, what kind of year are we looking at from Brian Burns?

Well, with the defensive side of the ball being completely blown up this offseason, I would think it is safe to say that Burns will have locked up a starting spot. However, it still may a bit of a struggle for him considering the defensive line will be extremely young. He will need those guys to step up and create gaps for him to shoot when he happens to line up inside and even when crashing down off the edge. Thankfully, first round pick Derrick Brown is a magnet to drawing special teams, but is that going to be enough? I don't think so. 

Burns will have better numbers in 2020 and will likely improve in several facets of his game, but for him to emerge into a star, I think we are talking one or two more years away.

What are your thoughts on Brian Burns? Do you see him having a big year in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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