One of the big storylines for the New York Giants this offseason was the acquisition of pass rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers.
Burns's addition, who will pair with Kayvon Thibodeaux, is set to give the Giants, a team that has had trouble maintaining a consistent pass rush for years, its first true formidable duo since 2016 when the team had Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.
For as promising as this new pass-rushing duo looks, Pro Football Focus is skeptical. In its recent list of the top 32 edge rushers in the NFL ahead of the regular season, Burns (21st) and Thibodeaux (29th) surprisingly landed toward the bottom part of the 30-man list.
Trevor Sikkema, who compiled the list, wrote of Burns that he “has yet to take that true next step into a near-elite category like his talent suggests he can” but that there is hope that his fresh start in New York, where he’ll be paired with Thiboeaux as well as having Dexter Lawerence in front of him, will unlock his potential.
Last season, Burns was tied for 11th on ESPN’s Pass-rush Win Rate (PRWR) despite facing double teams on 14 percent of his rushes. Playing in a defense with Thibodeaux and Lawrence should see that percentage drop, as opponents will need to pick their poison regarding where they double up resources.
That’s what the Giants are counting on after extending Burns to a five-year, $141 million deal, making him the third-highest-paid edge rusher in the league behind Nick Bosa and Josh Allen.
Burns had eight sacks and 21 pressures last year for the Panthers. His best season in 2022 was 12.5 sacks and 30 pressures. Burns has had one year of double-digit sacks, and he'll need to make that a common occurrence during his tenure in New York.
According to Sikkema, Thibodeaux was ranked as the 29th-best edge rusher in the league despite his first career double-digit sack showing, though with good reason.
"Although he recorded 11.5 sacks, (Thibodeaux’s) pass-rush win rate dropped from 9.5 percent in 2022 to 6.4 percent in 2023, and he produced only three more pressures despite playing 111 more pass-rush snaps," Sikkema wrote.
Thibodeaux put up large sack numbers in 2023; he just needs to prove he can get to the quarterback more frequently. The third-year outside linebacker believes he’s closer to reaching that goal and praised his new position coach, Charlie Bullen, for getting right to work and helping him chase greatness.
“He's been very instrumental in our short time together. Talk about accolades plus respect equals achievement to legacy,” Thibodeaux said.
“Last year, I got 11 and a half sacks. Those are the accolades. Now it's about getting that respect throughout the league and having teams fear coming to play against us. Just taking everything I do to the next level as far as that extra. Greatness is optional. I just got to kind of take that next step.”
Thibodeaux had no sacks and two quarterback hits in his last four games. After starting the season with 8.5 sacks through nine games, Thibodeaux had just three the remainder of the season.
Sacks aren't everything when evaluating pass rushers, but there are games where he failed to even register a quarterback hit. The Giants are hoping the addition of Burns on the other side will help Thibodeaux unlock his potential.
Thibodeaux, meanwhile, aspires to break the single-season sack record (22.5) initially set by Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan in 2001 and later matched by Steelers defender T.J. Watt in 2021.
“ I have an opportunity that people would wish they could be in. It's only right if I give the people what they want,” Thibodeaux said. “I honor myself by putting everything on the line, trying to be the best.”
