The Carolina Panthers were eager to see rookie edge rusher Brian Burns make his preseason debut against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. The Florida State product had a short debut for the Panthers but showed the range of his impressive pass-rushing ability in the time he was given.
On April 25, the Panthers selected Burns with the 16th pick to provide pressure off the edge. Carolina failed to bring down opposing quarterbacks consistently, with just 35 sacks in 2018 (27th in the NFL).
Against the Bears on Thursday night, Burns showed his speed and ability to bend around the corner to wrestle down Bears quarterback Chase Daniel twice. Phenomenally, Burns tallied two sacks in just 10 defensive snaps on the field.
It's safe to say that Ron Rivera was grinning ear-to-ear as he witnessed his first-round pick display the skills he had shown in training camp. Unlike practices in training camp, Burns was allowed to wrap up the quarterback in the Panthers' preseason opener. He did so with aplomb.
This offseason, Burns has worked with Panthers veterans Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin to improve his game. Nobody may have been more excited than Addison after Burns' performance against the Bears.
“He did what he’s supposed to do. He did his thing,” said Addison in a report by Max Henson of Panthers.com. “He’s athletic, he’s got tremendous speed and he knows how to counter. If we can polish him up a little bit more, he’s gonna be a force to be reckoned with.”
Julius Peppers may have retired at the end of the 2018 season, but the Panthers may have their next premier pass rusher for years to come.
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