Giants Three-headed Pass Rushing Machine Ready to Fire on All Cylinders

New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns got a look at how lethal the trio of Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter, and himself looked when they blended their respective talents to harass opposing quarterbacks.

“The schemes are similar,” Burns told the Locked On Giants podcast in an interview to promote his upcoming Brian Burns Celebrity Softball Game 2026 on May 30 at Clover Stadium in Pomona, New York.

“I think Dennard has a great way of making things simple. And he prides himself on having no gray area. Like it's either black or white, it's this or that.

“I think that allows a lot of defenses to play fast, you know, especially with the talent that we have in that room. So I really think that he's doing a great job by painting a vivid picture of what we're going to do and what we're going to look like.”

Burns said he’s been impressed so far by what he’s seen from new teammates like linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, cornerback Greg Newsome II, and safety Ar’Darius Washington, praising them for putting in the work and for their sharp football acumen, which has allowed them to pick up what’s being taught in the classroom quickly.

“Edmunds is a huge middle linebacker, but he's so fast and sideline to sideline, he’s gonna be a major piece in our run defense, which we need to help in. I definitely think he's gonna be a great player for us.

“I watched some film on Newsome and AD (Washington), and they're very sticky guys, very quick, but they like to hit. And you know, I definitely love that for our back end, and that, that electrifying like energy they bring is going to be annoying to a lot of offenses.”

So too will more mature versions of outside linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter, two players for whom Burns has been a mentor/big brother since he came to the Giants.

“Thibs kind of rearranged his whole process and the way he plays,” Burns said of Thibodeaux’s growth. “He's been playing lights out. He's had a couple of weird injuries that have hit him, but other than that, like, he's been playing his best ball.

“Thibs has been great in the run, great in the pass. He's been getting after the quarterback. I've seen Thibs grow up–I knew him before I got to the Giants, but once I got here and was actually able to see how he does everything, it's like night and day.

Burns also saw growth from Carter, last year’s third overall pick in the draft, who got off to a sluggish start only to turn things on during the last five weeks of the season.

“Last year, Abdul had his trials and tribulations of what he went through. But those last five weeks, he kind of put it all together and improved his process.

“I feel like he's picking up where he left off from last year, like, just looking at him in the training sessions and also in the classroom. Like he's taking detailed notes. He's maturing. And I feel like it's a great time for him to do that in his second year, because the sky's the limit for that young man.”

And what about Burns, who last year led the pack with a career-best 16.5 sacks, which ensured he finished his seventh straight season with at least 7.5 sacks?

Burns admitted to dealing with significant injuries in his two seasons, including groin and ankle issues, per past injury reports. Despite those injuries, Burns has never missed a game as a Giant and has also made it a point to be out there for every practice, regardless of how he feels physically.

The good news is that he’s on the mend from last year (he declined to say if he had any offseason surgeries) and that he believes that Wilson’s defense is going to enable him to top his production from last year.

“I definitely think I'm gonna be put in situations for me to succeed,” Burns said. “My main thing is just trying to stay consistent, trying to find new ways to affect the game.

“I'm definitely trying to put more emphasis on getting the ball out and making bigger plays than what I did last year. I feel like I left a lot of meat on the bone. I’m trying to improve. So, you know, that's where my mind is at right now, as well as leading Abdul, Thibs, and the rest of my defense.”

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