Brian Burns had a career year in 2025. The New York Giants' edge defender led the NFC in sacks with 16.5, holding a shaky defense together almost on his own. His impact shouldn't be understated. But was it enough to name him No. 14 on a list of the best players in the NFL?
His leaguemates think so. Burns took the 14th spot on the NFL's list of the top 100 players in the league, as voted on by the players. He came in just ahead of Derrick Henry, Ja'Marr Chase, and Jonathan Taylor.
Grant Gordon of NFL.com said, "If you can make it in New York, they say you can make it anywhere. In his seventh NFL season and his second with the Giants, Burns earned his third Pro Bowl selection and had his finest season yet."
Brian Burns skyrockets up NFL Top 100 rankings after monster Giants season
We're not looking to take anything away from Burns's electric 2025 season. He was dominant for Big Blue, and his impact went beyond the sack numbers. He single-handedly kept the Giants in a few games with his ability to disrupt opposing offenses. The second-team All-Pro honors he received were well deserved.
But even the most avid Giants fan can recognize that No. 14 feels a bit too high for the 28-year-old edge defender. The players above him have not been revealed yet, but some of the players below him deserve higher rankings. Even after a productive season, we can't confidently say that Burns is a better player than Chase.
The defender's previous best on the list was No. 53. He wasn't ranked in 2025.
Burns was incredibly efficient when he got into the backfield, but he only produced 53 pressures on the season, which ranked 26th in the league. His pass rush win rate of 7.3% ranked 188th among players with at least 100 pass rush snaps and third on the Giants.
Burns might not even end up being the best edge defender on his own team in 2026 if Abdul Carter can convert more of his pressures into sacks. Of course, Giants fans won't complain about their team's abundance of talented edge rushers. The unit has become the biggest strength of a defense that needs to establish an identity.
Again, Burns had an incredible season and deserves recognition as one of the best pass rushers in the sport. But somewhere in the 20 to 40 range is probably more reasonable for the Giants defender.
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