Brian Burns will lead the team in sacks.
John Schmeelk: Fact – This is a preview for a future question in our “24 questions in 24 days” series leading up to training camp. I am extremely bullish on Brian Burns this year. He has been the definition of consistency so far in his NFL career, finishing with between 7.5 and nine sacks in four of his five seasons. He had one 12.5-sack season in 2022. In his last four seasons in Carolina, he has had another teammate with more than seven sacks just once: Haason Reddick in 2021. He now has Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux giving opposing defenses something else to think about with the Giants. The Panthers have also won more than five games only once in his career when they won seven in 2022 (not a coincidence that was his 12.5-sack season). It is hard to rush the passer when your team is constantly playing from behind. If the Giants can get some leads, he should get more opportunities to show off his elite pass rush skillset and lead the Giants in sacks.
Dan Salomone: Fiction – When Kayvon Thibodeaux met with the media during OTAs, I got a sense of urgency from him. He knows this is a big year in his progression. The former fifth overall pick is already going on his third season and looks to build on his 11.5-sack campaign. He has high expectations for himself, and helping him reach them will be Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Shane Bowen’s philosophy of getting after the quarterback with the front four.
Matt Citak: Fact – In what was considered a “down year” by some, Brian Burns still picked up eight sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits last season. Now with Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux around him, Burns should see more one-on-one situations than he did during his time in Carolina. The 26-year-old looked explosive during team drills throughout the spring, setting up what could be a career year. Burns and Thibodeaux should benefit greatly from working opposite each other, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see both players reach double-digit sacks.
Dexter Lawrence will have more than 7.5 sacks, his current career high.
John Schmeelk: Fiction – Dexter Lawrence is the best pass-rushing nose tackle in the NFL, and it is not particularly close. PFF pressure rate numbers have him exponentially better at rushing the passer from over center than anyone else. It is still an extremely difficult position to register sacks. It is easier for teams to put…
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