Carolina Panthers: Brian Burns on track for monster third season

Brian Burns was quietly a dominant edge rusher in year two with the Carolina Panthers but his third season could make him a bonafide NFL star. 

Coming out of Florida State when the Carolina Panthers used the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Brian Burns, the edge rusher was very much a toolsy player with immense upside. While he possessed exceptional explosiveness and underrated pass-rush moves, his lack of size seemed as if it could create a bit of a learning curve.

And to some degree, that was the case. But even still, Burns managed to put himself on the map as a rookie when, despite only starting five games for the Panthers, he finished the year with 7.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and a fumble recovery touchdown.

With a year of experience in the NFL and some noticeably added bulk to his frame, though, Burns quietly emerged as a potentially dominant force for the Panthers last season. In 15 games under new head coach Matt Rhule and a revamped staff, Burns totaled 9.0 sacks with eight tackles for loss, 21 QB hits and three forced fumbles on the year.

As impressive as those numbers are for a sophomore NFL campaign, though, it could very well just be the beginning for Burns with the Panthers.

All signs point to a big-time breakout season for Brian Burns with the Carolina Panthers.

Despite his counting stats and how impressive they were, the advanced numbers and grading show Burns deserved even more love for his 2020 performance. In fact, Burns finished the season as the 13th highest-graded edge defender and with the fifth-best pass-rushing grade among his position group in the NFL last season, per PFF (subscription required).

For a player who is just 23 years old to already be performing at that level, it not only speaks highly of Rhule and the Panthers coaching staff but also of the player. Burns is already looking well on track to become the best-case scenario of his pre-draft projections. And that’s music to the ears of fans in Charlotte.

Not only should Brian Burns continue to progress and improve as he’s still not close to his prime but the Panthers have continued to upgrade the talent on defense, most recently using their 2021 first-round pick on South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn. That too will alleviate pressure and attention on Burns as opposing offenses will have more trials to deal with when facing the Panthers.

Burns is a player who many football nerds are likely in tune with in terms of how good he is and can be. But if he continues on his current trajectory for year three, he could leave the 2021 season as one of the most dangerous young pass-rushers in the league.