2019 NFL Draft: Panthers get their edge rusher in Brian Burns

Arguably the Carolina Panthers’s top 2019 NFL Draft need was an edge rusher, and Florida State’s Brian Burns fell into their laps at No. 16.

The Carolina Panthers had to be thrilled to see Florida State’s Brian Burns still on the board at No. 16 overall. With Burns, the Panthers have addressed arguably their biggest need of the offseason with an edge rusher.

The Panthers ranked 27th in the NFL in 2018 with just 35 sacks, and now move on without the ageless Julius Peppers, who finally decided to hang up his cleats.

Burns could come in and be an instant upgrade as a pass rusher for the Panthers in a division with Drew Brees and Matt Ryan. Burns might be the best pure pass rusher in the draft. He’s got an array of pass rushing moves that are far advanced for his level of experience.

Players his age typically have one go-to move or get by with their superior athleticism. Burns, however, has a plethora of moves in his bag. He’s got a devastating speed rush that is tough for offensive tackles to contain off the edge, but he’s also got an excellent inside swim move. He knows how to counter based off of what offensive linemen gives him.

Burns finished last season with 10 sacks and 15.5 tackles-for-loss. There’s some concerns with his motor after he checked out for the last five games of the season in 2018 with Florida State’s bowl streak on the line. He managed just one sack over the last five games, but there was little motivation in Tallahassee for most of last season. He was a first-team All-ACC performer and had three multi-sack games.

The most glaring concern for Burns coming into the combine was his lack of size, which made pundits fear that he would be forced to play as a 3-4 outside linebacker exclusively. He worked hard in the pre-draft process to put those concerns to bed by bulking up to 249 pounds. His wingspan checked in at pterodactyl-like 83 5/8.

He has all the physical tools to be a productive player at the next level, and he should be ready to slide in as a rookie and make an immediate impact. His floor is high, but his ceiling is even higher as Burns could ultimately be a guy who leads the NFL in sacks in a few years.

The Panthers not only got an extremely talented player, they also got excellent value in a player who was arguably one of the 10 best in the entire draft at No. 16.

Grade: A-