We’re starting to think the Carolina Panthers may have something in this Brian Burns guy . . .
In yet another bestowment of offseason flowers, Doug Farrar gave the 25-year-old his in Touchdown Wire’s new edge defender rankings. Burns, who churned out a career campaign in 2023, comes in at No. 8:
The Panthers were a heavy blitz team in the 2022 season, sending extra rushers on 31% of their snaps, which ranked sixth in the NFL. That shouldn’t at all diminish what Burns did last season. The 16th overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Florida State had a career-defining season in 2022, racking up 13 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, 44 quarterback hurries, and 32 stops. With blitz-heavy teams, you want to look at sacks with four or fewer rushers, and Burns had five of those last season.
Those numbers helped Burns earn his second straight nod as a Pro Bowl starter . . . although we’re not really sure if you can technically “start” in the latest adaption of the all-star festivities.
Nonetheless, Burns should be inching ever closer to a huge, big-money extension—one that may even pay him above his standing in these rankings.
