For the 14th consecutive year, current players voted to determine the Top 100 players in the NFL for the upcoming season.
For the third consecutive year, outside linebacker Brian Burns made the list.
The Giants' major offseason acquisition checked in at No. 55 in the peer vote, one spot below his 2023 ranking and up from his 2022 debut at No. 76. NFL+ has been revealing the list in installments all month, with the top 10 ultimately being announced on Aug. 2.
Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, a two-time Pro Bowler like Burns, was No. 28 in 2023, begging the question of how high he will climb this time around.
The Giants rang in the new league year by obtaining Burns in a trade with the Panthers, sending them a 2024 second-round draft choice (No. 39) and a 2025 fifth-round selection and agreeing to a swap of fifth rounders this year (the Giants getting No. 166 and sending No. 141 to Carolina).
Burns is one of eight players ever to record at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first five seasons (Reggie White, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen, Aaron Donald, Ryan Kerrigan, and Yannick Ngakoue).
Overall, Burns had 46 sacks in 80 career games (67 starts) with the Panthers. His sack total is tied for 12th in the NFL since he entered the league while his 59 tackles for loss are tied for sixth-most in that span. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder also has 95 quarterback hits, eight forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Burns posted career-highs in sacks (12.5) and quarterback hits (22) in 2022, when he earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
The 16th overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, Burns played collegiately at Florida State, where he finished fifth in program history in sacks and eighth in tackles for loss. In 2018, he was named to Phil Steele's All-America Team and All-ACC First Team. He broke onto the scene by leading all freshmen nationally with 9.5 sacks in 2016, the most by a Florida State freshman since 1977. He picked up freshman All-America honors as he helped the Seminoles finish No. 1 in the nation in sacks per game.
View the top photos of outside linebacker Brian Burns' NFL career.
History of Giants in NFL Top 100 Players:
2024: OLB Brian Burns (No. 55)
2023: DL Dexter Lawrence (No. 28), RB Saquon Barkley (No. 31)
2022: DL Leonard Williams (No. 97)
2021: CB James Bradberry (No. 74), DL Leonard Williams (No. 84)
2020: RB Saquon Barkley (No. 31)
2019: RB Saquon Barkley (No. 16)
2018: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 77), S Landon Collins (No. 92)
2017: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 8), S Landon Collins (No. 28), CB Janoris Jenkins (No. 54), DT Damon Harrison (No. 96)
2016: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 10), QB Eli Manning (No. 47)
2015: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 32)
2014: S Antrel Rolle (No. 72)
2013: QB Eli Manning (No. 43), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (No. 55), WR Victor Cruz (No. 58)
2012: DE Jason Pierre-Paul (No. 24), QB Eli Manning (No. 31), WR Victor Cruz (No. 39), DE Justin Tuck (No. 62), WR Hakeem Nicks (No. 90)
2011: DE Justin Tuck (No. 60), S Antrel Rolle (No. 68), G Chris Snee (No. 77)
Take a look through Giants in the "Top 100 Players" over the years.
Subscribe to Giants Text Alerts to stay up to date on breaking news, ticket offers, gameday entertainment, and more!