NY Giants' Brian Burns Lands in SI.com's Top 50 List

Where did the star OLB land on SI's top-100 player projections for 2026?

Jul 23, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) looks on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Joe Schoen's tenure as New York Giants general manager has been defined by consecutive last-place finishes, NFL Draft misfires, and an occasionally confusing approach to free agency.

But he has undoubtedly completed some notable moves, with the Brian Burns trade looking especially impressive at the moment.

The star outside linebacker finally broke through the top tier of pass-rushers this season, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his seven-year NFL career. He is forcing the media to view him in a new light.

When projecting the top 100 players for 2026, Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated ranked Burns at No. 48.

"Burns has been a bright spot during his first two seasons in New York, which has included plenty of losing," he said.

"As a unit, the Giants’ defensive front hasn’t played up to expectations, but Burns did his part with a career-high 16.5 sacks this season."

The Giants sent the Carolina Panthers a 2024 second-round draft pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder (also swapped 2024 fifth-round selections) for the 27-year-old.

They promptly signed him to a five-year, $141 million contract extension. Naturally, expectations were high. Fans anticipated the next great Big Blue edge rusher.

Burns enjoyed a highly productive first year with New York during the 2024-25 campaign, but his sack numbers did not stack up with those of the elite pass-rushers.

He took care of that this past season, however. The three-time Pro Bowler led the NFC in the crucial category and trailed only record-setter Myles Garrett.

Burns will remain under pressure, however. He has now set a standard he expects to maintain moving forward. Under new head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, the veteran OLB could be positioned for a torrid run.

Brian Burns can still get better with the NY Giants

New York Giants Brian Burns sacks Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) during a Thursday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Oct. 9, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the sack output was obviously eye-catching, Burns' 53 total pressures were eight fewer than what he recorded the previous season. He also posted an inefficient 15.9 percent missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus. Ergo, there is actually room for improvement.

An overhauled coaching staff can potentially help Burns become an all-around force on the defensive line. Perhaps Harbaugh and company can also get the best out of young pass-rusher Abdul Carter, who showed tremendous growth later in the campaign.

Add in a rejuvenated Dexter Lawrence, and New York's front-seven could become the elite unit many people expected in 2025. If everyone is performing their role to full effect, Burns should have plenty of opportunities to feast in the opposing backfield.

The No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft will not be content with just making the top-50 on SI's top-100 player projections. He believes he can be an unquestioned game-wrecker in the same vein as Garrett, Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, and Will Anderson Jr.

Though even if Burns cannot surpass those top-notch edge rushers, he is still rewarding the Giants for their huge investment. "Spider-Man" has earned considerable praise over the last two years, a feat that is often difficult to achieve in the country's largest media market.

He will try to help the team accomplish the same, starting next season.

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