They’ve used two top-five NFL draft picks to select edge-rushers, but the best move the New York Giants have made at the position is still the trade to acquire Brian Burns, who has made the deal look like a bargain by becoming one of the most prolific sack artists in the league. Now one of Burns’ Giants teammates has revealed the secrets to the three-time Pro Bowler’s game.
General manager Joe Schoen hasn’t earned many plaudits, but his decision to send a second-round pick and two fifth-rounders to the Carolina Panthers in 2024 looked like a masterstroke when Burns logged 16.5 sacks in a Giants uniform last season.
Burns has upped his game since joining Big Blue, and no player is better positioned to explain why than Giants’ second-team All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas. He told Giants Nation Show host Bobby Skinner what makes Burns tougher to block than fellow edge defenders Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Thomas revealed Burns “has the athletic gifts where he can bend, lateral quickness, all that stuff like that. He’s lanky.”
Physical talent alone isn’t what sets Burns apart. Instead, Thomas dished the dirt on what else makes the 28-year-old dominant.
Thomas also spelled out what Carter and Thibodeaux must do to get to quarterbacks more often and justify their lofty draft status.
Andrew Thomas Names Brian Burns’ X Factor
Pinpointing what makes Burns special prompted Thomas to focus on “his understanding of the game and how to set up his rushes. He’ll make rushes look similar, he’ll set you up. He’s reading your sets. I think that’s what makes it really tough, and then I don’t think he gets a lot of credit for his hands. I think he has really good hands, especially if you’re attacking with your outside hand. He’ll lift it, he’ll grab it and get around you.”
Cerebral and athletic qualities like those Thomas has had to combat in practice are why the Giants should already be thinking about a new contract for Burns. He’s playing his way into a lucrative next payday thanks to splash plays like this sack, forced fumble that created a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings last season.
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This is the kind of play the Giants want to see more of from Thibodeaux and Carter. Fortunately, Thomas knows how the duo can make it happen.
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Thomas believes “Abdul and KT, they’re, I think they’re equally as talented. It’s just the taking that next step of the understanding of the game.”
Carter might need to add some nuance to his rush plan, but last year’s third-overall pick already possesses a reliable talent some think will help him outproduce Burns in 2026. That’s a tall order considering Burns has recorded 25 sacks in two seasons with Big Blue.
Keeping Burns fresh will help maintain his consistency collapsing the pocket. That means Thibodeaux needs to step up after an offseason spent as the subject of a thousand and one trade rumors.
The fifth player drafted in 2022 looks like the odd man out in this rotation, but Thibodeaux is still capable of being an impact player for the Giants. He notched 11.5 quarterback takedowns in 2023, and the 6-foot-5, 258-pounder is the right physical profile for what new head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson are building.
It’s a defense defined by flexible edge-rushers who can beat blockers from multiple spots. All of the Giants’ primary options are skilled, but Carter and Thibodeaux will get better the more they watch and learn from Burns.
Giants All-Pro Reveals Brian Burns’ Secret