The 2026 New York Giants are shaping up to be one of the most surprising teams in the NFL. There is a new aura around this team, and it almost feels like they were already contenders last season and are now gearing up for another run at a Super Bowl.
Of course, that was far from reality. This was still a 4-13 football team a year ago, but it now feels like the franchise is operating with a completely different direction and identity. Along with that comes a new leader on the defensive side of the ball following one of the biggest moves of the offseason, when defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was traded to Cincinnati for the 10th overall pick.
That new leader is Brian Burns, and rightfully so.
Brian Burns is now the centerpiece of the Giants defense
This was a very quiet transition from Lawrence to Burns on the defensive side. There is no debate that No. 0 became the main attraction last season after posting career highs in sacks with 16.5 and quarterback hits with 31.
Now, without Lawrence, this defense gets a little younger and a little greener than before. The G-Men went out and grabbed Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick to complement Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Then, they added cornerback Colton Hood and replaced Lawrence, at least for now, on the defensive line with D.J. Reader.
In a lot of ways, it feels like Giants general manager Joe Schoen upgraded almost every position group this offseason.
Related: Giants' Brian Burns sends clear message following Dexter Lawrence trade
That means Burns is going to have to reel in this “new” team and establish himself as the captain of the defense. In just two seasons, he has gone from a big signing out of Carolina to becoming the heartbeat of this unit.
This move away from Lawrence is a difficult one, especially for Burns, who was close with him. Burns spoke about the trade during the Giants Town Hall on Monday night and summed up the team’s mentality moving forward.
“That hurt, that’s my dog, I ain’t wanna see him go but the NFL is all about next man up. I feel like we got a compliment of guys that can fill that role and we’re definitely gonna move forward with what we got going on," Burns said.
Although it may be true that new head coach John Harbaugh did not want Lawrence to be traded, the Giants still made sure to replace him both by position and by leadership. It has not been blasted all over the media, but the responsibility of leading this defense has clearly shifted onto Burns.
There is still more unpredictability surrounding the defense than the offense heading into 2026. But Burns has already shown he can handle being the focal point of a defense, and now the Giants are counting on him to take that next step as the face of the entire unit.
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