Brian Burns was one of the few bright spots of an otherwise disastrous showing for the New York Giants in 2025. The star outside linebacker reached new heights despite the club's brutal lows, especially on defense — but he expects that to even out moving forward.
Evidently, Burns doesn't envision having to pull the weight of other players on his side of the ball anymore. There appears to be a fresh sense of belief in those surrounding him. He sees everyone chipping in and doing their part, thanks to new Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and an overhauled coaching staff.
Realistic or not, Burns has set the bar awfully high for what he anticipates the Giants' stop unit to look like under Wilson's tutelage.
Brian Burns couldn't sound more confident about where the Giants' defense is headed
Excitement regarding Wilson's arrival is mounting, and understandably so. He impressively transformed an undermanned Tennessee Titans group that vaulted from second-worst in total defense to second-best (311.2 yards per game) in his first season. New York is betting on him to right the ship, with Burns seemingly being among the biggest believers.
"I see it as a well-oiled machine," Burns stated, via the Giants Huddle podcast. "I feel like the calls are going to be executed; they're going to be intricate. ... It's not going to be simple for an offense to read or understand exactly what we're doing, and that's the beauty in defense, in my opinion. On top of that, you have world-class athletes at our size that can move around and do a lot of different things. So, I just feel like it's going to be organized chaos."
Big Blue Nation will take "things we love to hear for $1000," please! Inject Burns' comments into Giants fans' veins. If he and his running mates can bring this complex, fast-flying, hybrid image to life, they're going to be a nightmare for opposing offenses.
Burns isn't just confident that New York has a methodical, detail-oriented DC at the helm; he also feels they have the horses to make it work. The front seven is loaded, including him, fellow standout pass-rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter, and inside linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and first-round rookie Arvell Reese.
Not to mention, Wilson's extensive background as a defensive backs could help unlock a promising young secondary. The cornerback quartet of Paulson Adebo, 2026 second-rounder Colton Hood, Greg Newsome II and Dru Phillips has plenty of untapped potential. Jevón Holland and Tyler Nubin have the makings of an exciting safety duo under the proper guidance.
For what it's worth, Burns and the G-Men have become all too familiar with disorderly chaos. It's always something with the franchise, and that's been the case long before he ever entered the picture. His first two campaigns in East Rutherford have been downright dysfunctional, to put it briefly.
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