There are high hopes for what Brian Burns can add to the New York Giants’ pass rush this season.
Though kickoff remains more than a month away, Burns is already having a positive effect on Big Blue it would seem -- one that’s even cost him some extra pushups. Burns’ pairing with Kayvon Thibodeaux on the edges is particularly enticing, and it’s a connection that’s growing, according to the former Carolina Panthers Pro Bowler.
“It's still been going good,” Burns said Sunday, via team transcript, of his chemistry with Thibodeaux. “We had a competition yesterday in that last call-it period. Whoever got the first sack had to do 25 pushups or something like that and he got it. I'll give it to him for now. But yeah, we're still having that friendly competition. It's going to help us get better.”
Only Burns, the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones have 7.5 sacks or more in each of the last five seasons, per NFL Research. Burns did it largely without another dynamic presence opposite him with the Carolina Panthers.
Thus, optimism is large for what he and Thibodeux can do in new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s scheme as the Giants aim to improve from a defense that was 26th in points allowed (23.9 per game) and 27th in total yards (361.7).
In five seasons with the Panthers, Burns rushed to a pair of Pro Bowl selections and 46 sacks in 80 career games. The 2019 first-rounder has been quick to ignite a fire with Thibodeaux, a 2022 first-rounder, and the competition will hopefully lead to more than just pushups.
“It's been a great competitive spirit,” Thibodeaux told NFL.com senior national columnist Judy Battista Sunday on Back Together Weekend. “You know, we've been going back and forth on technique, on playstyle, and then just even on, you know, hard work, how much work we actually putting in and how much we run to the ball. And, you know, lifting up the standards, so it's been great having him, you know, be a vet, come in and kind of show me some more aspects of the game."
Thibodeaux’s coming off a marvelous 11.5-sack season. However, in Bowen’s scheme, Thibodeaux might not always be aiming to meet Burns at the quarterback. He could be dropping back a bit more in coverage.
It’s something he’s looking forward to adding to his game.
"Definitely. I like being an impact on offense,” Thibodeaux told Battista. “Since I have a unique skill set, you know, to be able to drop back, cover a tight end or even in zone and then be able to rush to passer or stop the run."
While Burns’ addition has helped Thibodeaux in short order, he’s also pushing his teammates on the other side of the ball.
Burns and another former Big Blue first-rounder, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, have been squaring off in engaging battles so far this camp.
“It's been a constant battle between me and him,” Burns said. “I embrace the opportunity. Ever since he got back, because you know he wasn't practicing in the beginning of OTAs, but ever since he got back, I've been on his side. We're definitely going to get each other better. Today, he kind of got me a little pissed off. He edged me out today. So, tomorrow we got a battle. We got to get that back, for sure.”
Just how positively Burns impacts Big Blue won’t be clear until the season is underway, but as far as training camp goes, the former Panthers all-star is pushing the Giants to be better camp battle after camp battle, pushup after pushup.