With the NY Giants' OTAs underway, we're starting to see what some of the new faces will look like in Big Blue. One of the most anticipated acquisitions from this offseason is star edge-rusher Brian Burns, who Joe Schoen traded for back in March.
Heading into the 2024 season, fans are hopeful that Burns and third-year star Kayvon Thibodeaux will form an elite pass-rushing duo alongside Dexter Lawrence in the trenches. If so, this unit will be reminiscent of the elite pass-rushing cores of Giants past and could propel New York's defense into elite territory.
For now, fans will have to wait and watch how they perform at OTAs. This may not come as a surprise, but Burns and Thibodeaux have already been turning heads and a new video was released showing what they could look like together on the field. Yeah, these two look like beasts.
Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux are going to be a problem for opposing teams
While it may just be a simple drill with no pads, the speed and agility in which these two pass-rushers run through it should be enough to shake the boots of opposing linemen. Burns and Thibodeaux are two great pass-rushers on their own, so watching them together on the same team is going to make for something special.
Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns go through a drill at Giants practice pic.twitter.com/ujdr0bc4oA
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) May 23, 2024
Last season, Burns and Thibodeaux racked up a combined 19.5 sacks, 83 pressures, 28 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles. Keep in mind, this is with Burns playing under a system in Carolina that did not utilize his strengths. So, these numbers could end up being an understatement of their combined powers going into 2024.
Regardless, Giants fans have something to be excited about with Burns and Thibodeaux. These two have proven that they can be productive and due to their young age, they haven't even hit their peaks yet. They will only push each other going into the season and once Week 1 comes around, there's no telling what the ceiling is.
A pass-rushing core of Burns, Lawrence, and Thibodeaux has the chance to be one of, if not the best in the NFL. In a pass-heavy NFL, pressuring the quarterback is as important as ever, so adding Burns to sharpen the other two was a key move that could change the trajectory of the Giants in '24.