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Edge rusher T.J. Watt is one of the early favorites to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023. Behind his 8 sacks, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense is averaging more than 3 sacks per game.
But Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey proposed the Steelers making a huge splash for another edge rusher before the NFL trade deadline.
Tansey argued that Pittsburgh must consider acquiring Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns.
“A pass-rushing duo of Watt and Brian Burns would wreak havoc on every opponent left on the Steelers’ schedule,” wrote Tansey.
“That is the dream duo the Steelers can build through the trade market.”
Burns posted at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons. In 2023, he has 4 sacks with 7 tackles for loss, 9 quarterback hits and 1 forced fumble in six contests.
Why DE Brian Burns is a Popular NFL Trade Candidate
Burns has been mentioned a lot as a trade candidate over the past several weeks. The Panthers are essentially out of the playoff hunt with an 0-6 record.
That’s led to the speculation that Carolina will trade its veterans to recoup some of the draft capital the team sacrificed to move up to the No. 1 pick this past spring.
Burns is Carolina’s best asset.
“Burns should be one of the most coveted players on the market because of the impact he can make off the edge,” Tansey wrote. “He has four sacks in 2023 and 42 in his career.
“Burns has never had less than 7.5 sacks in a single season. He had at least nine takedowns in the last three campaigns.”
In addition to the sacks, Burns has recorded at least 13 tackles for loss the past two seasons. He has registered 18 quarterback hits or more every year since 2020.
Burns is on pace for 20 tackles for loss and 25 quarterback hits this year. Both would be new career bests.
Are the Steelers in the Market for Burns?
From a production standpoint, the Steelers should easily be interested in Burns. As Carolina’s best pass rusher, Burns has been a Pro Bowl player the past two seasons. Playing opposite T.J. Watt, Burns could reach superstardom.
As Tansey put it, trading for Burns would give Pittsburgh a “dream duo” on defense.
But it would cost a fortune.
Tansey speculated that acquiring Burns would take multiple draft picks. One of those multiple picks would undoubtably be a first-rounder.
A to Z Sports’ Mike Payton suggested on October 24 that it would take at least a 2024 first-rounder and 2025 second-round pick to acquire Burns.
As much as a Watt-Burns duo could dominate the NFL, the Steelers are probably going to try and retain as many high draft picks in the coming years as possible to continue adding young talent on offense to help quarterback Kenny Pickett’s development.
The other main reason the Steelers trading for Burns is an outlandish idea is because Pittsburgh already has a great pass-rushing duo.
The Steelers signed 26-year-old edge rusher Alex Highsmith to a contract extension in July. Last season, Highsmith broke out with 14.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits and a league-leading 5 forced fumbles.
Highsmith is off to a slower start this season with only 2 sacks in six games. But he has 7 quarterback hits and returned an interception for a touchdown in a victory against the Cleveland Browns.
Other help may be on the way for the Steelers pass rush. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on October 26 that the Steelers opened the 21-day window for defensive end Cameron Heyward to return to practice.
Heyward could return in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans.
Even if the Steelers were interested in acquiring another pass rusher, Burns doesn’t appear to be a realistic trade target. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on October 25 that the Panthers are telling teams that Burns is not available.
The Steelers acquiring Burns would definitely make Pittsburgh’s pass rush very scary. But it’s a move likely to remain in the team’s wildest dreams.
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