Carolina Panthers: Brian Burns separating himself at training camp
Carolina Panthers first-round pick Brian Burns is ‘separating himself’ from other young edge players according to Ron Rivera.
Not that the Carolina Panthers have a ton of elite prospects blossoming off the edge right now, but young first-rounder Brian Burns has stood out at training camp, according to head coach Ron Rivera.
Burns, a first-round pick out of Florida State, was a favorite of many draft analysts for his speed off the edge — he ran a blazing 4.53 at 249 pounds — but some worried about his ability to hold up off the edge at that weight.
Understandably so, but playing in a 3-4 alignment should mask Burns’ deficiencies in that regard, and playing for a defensive guru in Ron Rivera will help matters even further.
His head coach made a point to talk about how much Burns has been impressing so far in camp.
I was asking about Brian Burns’ leg but RR took the opportunity to make it clear how impressed he has been with the rookie. pic.twitter.com/njeibgD74V
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) August 5, 2019
The Panthers desperately need Burns to be head and shoulders above everyone else at this point, and they also need him to exceed even potentially lofty expectations. Although the Panthers signed Gerald McCoy this offseason and have a plethora of depth on the interior defensive line, their edge depth leaves something to be desired.
As a matter of fact, the Panthers passed on potentially an even more pressing need at offensive tackle in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft to take Burns, who was projected as a top 10 pick by some.
The top edge player on the other side of the field for Carolina right now is penciled in as being Bruce Irvin. Irvin, another former first-round pick. Mario Addison, a veteran on this Panthers team, also got a depth chart nod over the rookie when they initially released them.
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As Burns goes through his rookie season in the NFL, it will be important for the rookie to make sure he maintains weight and an ability to hold up on the edge. If he can become an every-down player sooner than later for the Panthers, this defense could wind up being pretty scary with their ability to get to the quarterback from the inside out.