The Panthers got extraordinarily lucky when Brian Burns fell into their laps at No. 16 overall in last year’s draft. The former Florida State defensive end showed great potential as a rookie but did not get consistent playing time under Ron Rivera. This year it’s been a different story under Matt Rhule. Burns has seen his defensive snap count increase from 43% to 75% and it’s made an enormous difference on the field.
Here is the best of what Burns has done so far in the 2020 season.
Some spidey scenes from all the best @Fire_Burns99 plays so far pic.twitter.com/GmGOSW2GHD
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 27, 2020
Heading into Week 12, Burns has six sacks, 16 quarterback hits, five tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and three passes defensed. According to ESPN, Burns ranks No. 5 at his position in pass rush win rate.
The freakiest thing about Burns’ progress is the fact that he’s just 22 years old and hasn’t even peaked yet. At this rate, he’s going to become the best EDGE defender in the NFL by the time he’s 25, if not much sooner.
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