3 young Carolina Panthers players who are emerging ballers

Brian Burns – Carolina Panthers DE

It’s easy to forget that Brian Burns is still just 22-years-old. The defensive end has shown a marked improvement in his overall game through Week 3 of the 2020 season and this has only increased his overall influence on a young roster that is relying on him to deliver the goods.

Burns might only have one sack to his name, but a lot of that could be attributed to the way defensive coordinator Phil Snow used the former first-round pick over the first fortnight. The Carolina Panthers had their best pass-rusher standing up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 and even gave him the responsibility of dropping back in coverage on occasions.

Thankfully, it looks like Snow has seen the light.

Burns was in his preferred position for the entirety of their game, which brought instant results. The Florida State product terrorized the Chargers’ offensive line from the first snap during what was a coming-out party in 2020 for a player with a significant amount of expectations to cope with.

This is a challenge that Burns appears to be relishing. Despite his tender age, the player is keen to develop his production on the field with leadership off it.

Although this is something Carolina wasn’t necessarily expecting from him, it has been another boost.