5 Carolina Panthers players set to shock the NFL world in 2021
By Dean Jones
Brian Burns – Carolina Panthers DE
There is some real buzz being generated by Brian Burns this offseason. And with good reason.
The defensive end made some unbelievable strides in Year 2 of his professional career. Burns was a constant menace coming off the edge and had he finished off a few plays better, his eventual numbers could have looked even more impressive.
This is something that isn’t going unnoticed by analysts across the country. Now they’ve had the time to truly study Burns on film, bigger expectations for the 2021 season are following.
The Carolina Panthers struck gold when they selected Burns at No. 16 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. His explosiveness is matched by a growing intelligence of how to be an effective three-down defensive lineman and a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign is almost assured considering the improved talent around him next season.
Burns is a superstar in the making and is adored by Carolina’s loyal fanbase. The Florida State product is the team’s most important defensive piece and double-digit sacks seem to be the minimum target in 2021 for a player with the world at his feet.
The NFL world is slowly waking up to the talent at Burns’ disposal. He might be getting overlooked in most preseason defensive end rankings, but that is not going to be the case for much longer.