Why Brian Burns believes ‘sky is the limit’ for Giants pass rush

New York Giants edge rusher Brian Burns is expected to bring with him what the pass rush has been missing over the last few seasons.

The explosive and bendy speed rusher who boasts exceptional length and consistency will have an impact right away working opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The pairing gives the Giants a formidable duo on each side of the defensive line both now and in the future.

“As of right now we’re just trying to get better every day. With our combined talents, I think the sky’s the limit. We can really do anything. And we’re all young, so hopefully this is years to come,” said Burns on Saturday at Dexter Lawrence’s Charity Softball Game.

Speaking of Lawrence, Burns could not be more excited to work alongside the former All-Pro defensive tackle. If there was a bright spot on a shaky Giants defense in 2023, it was all Lawrence.

The barreling interior defender led the Giants pass rush in quarterback hits (21) even though he only recorded 4.5 sacks. His 92.6 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus led all interior defenders while ranking third in total pressures (65) and second in pass-rush win rate (20.2%).

Having Lawrence command so much attention on the interior will free things up for both Burns and Thibodeaux, who is coming off an 11.5-sack season.

“He commands a lot,” Burns said of Lawrence. “I’m excited for it because I know they really have to key in on him, and also having somebody opposite of me, they’re pretty much going to have to pick their poison on who they’re going to key or slide to. With Dex demanding so much attention and Kayvon also demanding attention, it’s going to free us up a lot.”

With question marks in the secondary, the Giants need the pass rush to step up even more if the defense is going to have a positive impact in 2023.

As Burns gets acclimated to life as a Giant, the sky truly is the limit for this unit.