3 reasons Brian Burns deserves your Pro Bowl vote
By Dean Jones
Look beyond the stats
Looking beyond the stats is key to examining the level of impact Brian Burns has made for the Carolina Panthers this season. His statistics are not the worst by any stretch of the imagination, but he is doing so much more than that.
Burns has recorded four sacks, 36 combined tackles, three forced fumbles, four tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits through ten games. But this is just a small sample of what the pass-rusher brings to the table.
He is setting the edge in run support far better than we saw at any stage during his rookie year and his 25 pressures is two more than he achieved during the previous campaign. Turning some of these into sacks will be the next stage of his game to improve, but there’s nothing to suggest the player isn’t more than capable of this with more experience.
Burns is getting to the spot quickly thanks to his elite explosiveness. He is a nightmare to block and has also developed his pass-rushing repertoire in a positive manner over the offseason.
Want further proof? Burns has an 84.6 grade from Pro Football Focus, which is among the NFL’s best for defensive ends. His pass-rushing grade is even better than that and is a further indication that his level of play is more influential than what you simply see on the stat sheet.