The Carolina Panthers need big things from Brian Burns. Carolina's pass-rush hasn't been up to par recently, and they're looking to reinvent the unit with Burns, who they drafted 16th overall back in April.

The Florida State product will be asked to play a large role right away, and how he does in his rookie season will have a huge impact on the entire defense. It's a lot to ask for a rookie, but fortunately for Panthers fans they recently got some reassurance from one of Burns' old teammates.

Speaking at ACC Media Day, current Florida State defensive tackle and former teammate of Burns Marvin Wilson had some very high praise for the Panthers' newest player, per Steven Taranto of 247Sports.

“Brian is definitely a franchise player. That's definitely what Brian Burns is: He's a once in a lifetime talent,” said Wilson. “Brian works his butt off. He's definitely a great pass rusher more than anything. He's a playmaker, and Brian's a guy who's gonna be around for a long time in the league.”

Burns showed a lot of promise in his first two years at Florida State, and then had a monster junior season. Even though Florida State was having an awful year, Burns finished with 15.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three passes defended, and three forced fumbles.

For his work, he earned a first-team All-ACC selection. Burns will be a very important player to monitor during training camp and the preseason. If Wilson is anywhere close to the mark, Panthers fans are going to be very happy with the selection.