The New York Giants may have overhauled entire position groups this offseason, but their biggest strength has remained the same. An edge rusher group comprised of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter is enough to strike fear into the hearts of opposing offensive lines.
With Thibodeaux in a contract year and Carter primed for a breakout in his second season, the group could be even more dangerous than it was in 2025. Burns knows just how dominant the trio can be. When asked if he feels good about the group he's going into battle with, his response was simple.
"Yeah. Damn right. Who wouldn't?"
Brian Burns knows just how dominant Giants' edge rushers can be in 2026
Burns had no problem carrying the defensive front last season. He produced an NFC-leading 16.5 sacks, finishing second only to Myles Garret's record-breaking campaign across the league. The Giants defender earned second-team All-Pro honors for his efforts.
If Thibodeaux and Carter can pick up the slack in 2026, this unit will be unstoppable. Thibodeaux had a down year, posting career lows in pressures, sacks, and run stops and missing 29% of his attempted tackles, one of the worst marks in the NFL.
The fifth-year defender has all of the motivation he needs to turn things around this season. After becoming the subject of endless trade rumors throughout the offseason, he's entering the final year of his rookie deal, having had his fifth-year option picked up. Every sack, every tackle, every disruptive play could raise his value significantly.
Carter played well as a rookie, but his failure to convert pressures into sacks led to mediocre box-score numbers. He had 66 pressures, a top-fifteen mark in the NFL, but only totaled four sacks. By contrast, Burns only had just 53 pressures and still put up 16.5 sacks.
A minor improvement in delivering on his opportunities would send Carter skyrocketing into the league's top tier of pass rushers. He may be the most obvious breakout candidate on the Giants' roster.
The group still needs to hold their own in run defense, a clear weakness from last season, but improved linebacker play behind them should help quiet some of those concerns.
Burns knows how important this edge rusher group is to the success of the team. New York has invested significant resources in the position. Now, it's time for the star-studded trio to collectively deliver the results fans are hoping to see in 2026.
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