The Giants traded for Brian Burns and signed him to a long-term deal because of the damage he does as a pass rusher, but the hope is that his presence does more than just upgrade his position on the field.
Burns will be teamed up on the edge with Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is coming off a season with 11.5 sacks. The 2022 first-round pick should continue to improve and his rate of progress might be even faster now that he has Burns on hand as a mentor.
“It’s exciting, man,” Thibodeaux said on NFL Network. “It’s exciting. Me and Brian, we have a similar body type. We have a similar style of play. But he’s a little bit different. He’s faster, he’s quicker. He’s obviously farther in his career than I am, so there’s a lot of gems he’s been giving me. And he’s been able to help up my game a little bit, and I’ve been competing with him, giving him a few things I know, and it’s been great so far. I’m excited to see what’s all to come from that.”
The offense for the Giants was a clear weakness during their 6-11 run last season, but the defense also took a step backward from their playoff trip in 2022. That led to a change in coordinators and a move for Burns that the team hopes will bear fruit in multiple ways.