FSU Alums: Brian Burns named one of 10 best rookies in NFL

Former FSU defensive end Brian Burns made his presence felt early for the Panthers in 2019. He’s already one of the best young players in the NFL.

FSU football fans knew the Carolina Panthers were getting a player when they drafted Brian Burns with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Burns was taken by the Panthers due to their lack of pass rush the previous year. He had shown he was one of the best pass rushers in the draft and led the NCAA in pass rush pressures even though he was often double teamed by opposing linemen.

He wasted no time making them look like geniuses as he registered 4.5 sacks in the first six games.

Burns got a lot of playing time with veteran Bruce Irvins out with an injury but seemed to have his snaps cut a great deal when Irvins returned for whatever reason.

He was also playing with a wrist injury that was suffered in training camp and made worse by hitting the field in frustration during the regular season. Despite the limited number of snaps in a number of games he has still be named as one of the top 10 rookies in the NFL.

Brian Burns checks in at No. 9 on the list of the top 25 rookies. He was No. 4 among all rookies with 7.5 sacks on the season and had a forced fumble and fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.

Final Thoughts

As someone who lives in North Carolina I was glad Burns was selected by the Panthers. I really wish they would have given him more snaps, but it’s clear he’s going to need to develop some more moves at the NFL level.

His speed rush is incredible, but he did struggle at times when opposing linemen forced him to go to a countermove.

Here’s to hoping whoever the Panthers hire as a head coach hires a defensive coordinator that can use him at maximum levels.