B-Great: Brian Burns a Big Hit with Teammates, Coaches

Giants' outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen is enthralled by how Brian Burns meshed with the team's defense.

Brian Burns (0) / Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

One of the New York Giants' newest on-field reps is leaving a strong first impression on his new position coach, who is embarking on his maiden metropolitan voyage.

Outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen lauded the early returns he’s seen from the five-year pro before the team’s third OTA last Thursday.  

"He's a good person," Bullen said, noting how Burns immediately meshed with his teammates. "He's a personable guy who enjoys people and teammates. So I think it's just his natural personality, just taking over and meshing with the guys."

That’s all good, but the Giants will need a lot more than just having a nice guy on the field. Fortunately, it looks like the Giants will be getting the best of both worlds.

Burns, when compared to the Giants' pass rushers last season who rushed at least 100 times, led the Giants trio of Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, and former Giant Jihad Ward with a 6.8 pass-rush productivity score.

In the face of experienced departures and the retention of several young projects, Burns’s 29.5 sacks over the past three seasons are good for 11th-best in the NFL.

Bullen, who head coach Brian Daboll hired in February, was an integral part of the evaluation process that led to general manager Joe Schoen sending the Panthers a second-round pick this year and a fifth next year (as well as swapping fifth-round picks in the 2024 draft) to acquire Burns. 

That compensation could turn out to be a steal for the Giants, considering the Los Angeles Rams reportedly tried to acquire them the year before with an offer that included their first-round picks in 2024 and 2025 and a second-round pick in 2025.

Besides Burns’s productivity as a pass rusher, the Giants view him as a mentor for Kayvon Thibodeaux, who enters his third NFL season this year and whose stock continues to rise. 

"I think having someone like Burns in the room working alongside him will help him," Bullen said. "(Burns) can be an example that shows him where those next steps can come and how he can become consistent."

That’s exactly what Burns, who experienced the benefits of having an experienced mentor (Haason Reddick) at his position, wants to do for Thibodeaux.

“My third year, that's when Haason (Reddick) came to the Panthers,” Burns said at last week’s OTA. “That's when I developed that competitive nature with the other end on the other side. I was able to learn a lot from him. … That definitely did wonders for my career.”  

So far, the two new teammates, who met years ago when Burns hosted Thibodeaux during a football recruiting visit, have quickly formed an on-field partnership and an off-field friendship.  

“I've always kind of compared myself to him as I continue my pass-rushing professional career,” Thibodeaux said. “Being able to be with him was kind of like that full-circle moment. 

“We're chasing greatness every day. He knows a lot of things. He has been in the league a lot longer than I have. He got a lot of game, a lot of gems that are going to help my game.”

The Giants, who last year saw their pass rush post the fourth-fewest sacks in the league (34), with only Thibodeaux posting double-digit sacks (11.5),  are counting on that.  

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