Giants Country

OLB Brian Burns Named Giants “Most Improved Player” in New Analysis

Burns took a significant step forward in one area in his first season with the Giants.

Patricia Traina

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) takes the field for action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) takes the field for action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The New York Giants knew they were getting a good player in outside linebacker Brian Burn, for whom they traded with the Carolina Panthers last year. 

Although Burns didn’t wow the league in terms of his sack totals, finishing with 8.5, which was half a sack better than his 2023 total in his final season with the Panthers, Burns was still enough of an impactful player on a Giants defense that was begging for impactful players.  

Burns, who didn’t miss a single defensive snap despite dealing with assorted lower body injuries for most of the season, was named Pro Football Focus’s most improved Giants player for 2024. 

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns
New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) chases down Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) during a game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Burns hadn’t turned into the elite pass-rusher that the Panthers were hoping for, but he took considerable steps forward from his final season in Carolina,” wrote Thomas Valentine, the compiler of all 32 teams’s picks. 

“His sack totals remained the same, but Burns’ overall effectiveness improved. He had 61 pressures in his first season with the Giants, the second-highest total of his career and the 13th-most in the NFL. “

According to NFL Pro, Burns registered a 15.2% quarterback pressure percentage off his team-high 435 pass-rush snaps, the best among Giants defenders with at least 100 pass-rushing attempts.

Teaming with Kayvon Thibodeaux on the edges, Burns recorded 21 pressures on 142 pass rushes (14.8%) from Week 12 onward, the week Thibodeaux returned from injured reserve.

However, according to PFF, the one area where Burns improved most was his play against the run. In 2024, 30 of his career-high 42 stops came against the run. 

Burns is entering the second year of the five-year contract he signed after being acquired via trade from the Panthers. His $29.75 million cap hit is currently the highest on the team and includes $22.25 million in guaranteed money owed.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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