Giants Now: The 33rd Team ranks Brian Burns trade among best offseason moves of 2024

The 33rd Team ranks Brian Burns trade among best offseason moves of 2024

With contact not yet permitted at practice, we have yet to see outside linebacker Brian Burns fully unleashed. Nonetheless, his speed and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage is already easy to see.

The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher recently ranked the top five moves of the 2024 offseason, in which the Giants’ acquisition of Burns came in at No. 3.

“The Giants were already set up well with Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux, but the trade for Brian Burns gave them a bonafide No. 1 edge rusher who can win at an absurd rate,” wrote Mosher. “He turned 26 in April but already has 46 sacks and 95 quarterback hits. His speed and bend around the edge are among the best in the NFL, and now he’ll play on a strong defensive line that will almost guarantee that he’ll see fewer double teams than ever.”

Burns was set to be one of the top free agents on the market this offseason before the Panthers placed the franchise tag on him. The Giants acquired the 6-foot-5, 250-pound linebacker in a trade with the Panthers during the first week of free agency.

His 46 career sacks are tied for 12th in the NFL since he entered the league in 2019, while his 59 tackles for loss are tied for sixth-most in that span. He also has eight forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries to go with his 95 quarterback hits.

Burns has never recorded fewer than 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in a season, which he did as a rookie. He posted career-highs in sacks (12.5) and quarterback hits (22) in 2022, when he earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

He is one of only eight players in NFL history to record at least 7.5 sacks in each of their first five seasons.