General manager Joe Schoen invested several high-end assets into the team’s front seven in hopes of creating a pass rush that can control the line of scrimmage. And yet, the Giants pass rush is struggling. Highlighted by the trade for Carolina Panthers star Brian Burns, Giants brass and fans hoped that a rotation between him, third-year pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, and all-pro Dexter Lawrence would give the Giants one of the best pass rush trios in the NFL. The Giants pass rush was supposed to be their defensive identity this year and it was for the first half of the season, but now it is one of the factors in a 10-game losing streak.
Early on, Schoen’s investments paid dividends. The Giants had the second most sacks in the league at 35 after Week 8 and a sack rate of over 10 percent according to Pro Football Focus, which was the best in the NFL. All-Pro Dexter Lawrence led the way with nine sacks and an 81.4 pass rush grade according to Pro Football Focus. They had an eight-sack game against the Cleveland Browns and a seven-sack game against the Seattle Seahawks that led to their lone two wins on the season.
So, what’s the cause of the Giants pass rush struggles?
The Giants lost Dexter Lawrence for the season due to an elbow injury and the team has just six sacks in their last seven games amidst a franchise-worst ten-game losing streak. However, blaming the fleeting pass rush solely on Lawrence’s absence ignores the responsibility on Schoen, head coach Brian Daboll, defensive coordinator, and the rest of the Giants staff. High-end investment at critical positions such as edge rushers should provide depth if there are injuries, even if it’s to someone of Dexter Lawrence’s caliber.
The highly-invested players that the Giants believed would take the next step in their development are struggling and Schoen ignored signing capable depth at defensive tackle.
Kayvon Thibodeaux was Joe Schoen’s first draft pick as Giants general manager in 2022 at fifth overall. He had a solid rookie season as the second pass rusher that looked like this:
- 4 sacks
- 49 total tackles (33 solo, 16 assisted)
- 6 tackles for loss
- 13 quarterback hits
- 2 forced fumbles
- 2 fumble recoveries (including 1 returned for a touchdown against Washington in Week 15)
- 9.5% pass-rush win rate
He had standout performances against the Washington Commanders and the Baltimore Ravens where he showed flashes of speed and bend around the edge that hinted at the potential of an elite pass-rusher that made him worthy of a top-five pick. In 2022, his sack numbers nearly tripled up to 11.5, but his metrics went backward. His pass-rush win rate dipped down to 6.4% and he produced only 3 more pressures that season, despite having 111 more pass-rushing opportunities.
The goal for 2024 was to pair him with another suitable pass rusher with Brian Burns to pull him away from double teams so he can focus on winning one-on-one with tackles. So far this season has been another mixed bag in the ten games he’s played in:
- 3 sacks
- 13 quarterback hits
- 65.8 pass rush grade
Thibodeaux has proved to be a useful NFL player, but is not winning against starting-caliber tackles on a consistent basis and often disappears during games when the pass rush needs to get home the most.
Is Brian Burns an Elite Pass Rusher?
While Burns is not struggling as a pass rusher, the question is if he is living up to lofty expectations. After acquiring Brian Burns in a trade from the Carolina Panthers, Joe Schoen signed him to a five-year, $141 million extension. The deal, averaging $28.7 million annually, makes Burns the NFL’s third-highest-paid pass rusher. He trails only Nick Bosa and Josh Allen in AAV and surpasses T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett.
But is Brian Burns comparable to those players?
An elite pass rusher can wreck a game for opposing offenses; just act the 2007 New England Patriots. The hope for Joe Schoen was that Burns, who is just 26 years old, would develop into a chronic game-wrecker like Bosa, Watt, and Garrett. However, the 2024 statistics suggest that Burns has been the same guy he was in Carolina – a good, but not elite pass-rusher.
Brian Burns Career Averages vs 2024 Season: Is he struggling?
Pass Rush Win Grade:
- Panthers Average: 75.2
- 2024 Giants: 79.5
Total Tackles (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 46.2
- 2024 (Giants): 55 (projected ~59)
Solo Tackles (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 27.2
- 2024 (Giants): 31 (projected ~34)
Assists (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 19
- 2024 (Giants): 24 (projected ~25)
Sacks (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 9.2
- 2024 (Giants): 8 (projected ~9)
Pass Deflections (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 2.6
- 2024 (Giants): 8 (projected ~9)
Forced Fumbles (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 1.4
- 2024 (Giants): 2 (projected ~2)
Fumble Recoveries (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 0.4
- 2024 (Giants): 0
Quarterback Hits (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 16.6
- 2024 (Giants): 14 (projected ~17)
Pressures (Average per Season):
- Career Average (Panthers): 47.2
- 2024 (Giants): 36 (projected ~43)
For comparison, here’s how Burns compares to Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett:
Total Tackles:
- Myles Garrett: 276
- Brian Burns: 231
Solo Tackles:
- Myles Garrett: 168
- Brian Burns: 136
Assists:
- Myles Garrett: 108
- Brian Burns: 95
Sacks:
- Myles Garrett: 77.5
- Brian Burns: 46
Pass Deflections:
- Myles Garrett: 9
- Brian Burns: 13
Forced Fumbles:
- Myles Garrett: 14
- Brian Burns: 7
Fumble Recoveries:
- Myles Garrett: 2
- Brian Burns: 2
Quarterback Hits:
- Myles Garrett: 115
- Brian Burns: 58
Pressures:
- Myles Garrett: 299
- Brian Burns: 171
It’s hard to criticize Burns’ effort this season. He’s proved to be a valuable leader in the locker room as the team continues to fall closer to the first overall pick. He’s very visibly playing through nagging groin and hamstring injuries when the team has been out of playoff contention since Thanksgiving. In many ways, he’s the type of leader that a voiceless Giants team needs in the future. However, his raw and advanced metrics need improvement in order to justify his almost $30 million AAV and at just 26 years old, there is still room for him to grow.
2025 and Beyond
There is hope for Giants fans that their pass rush struggles in 2024 were a result of injuries that prevented the unit from gelling under a new scheme. Again, at one point in the season the team was leading the NFL in total sacks and their first two wins came from a pass rush that dominated the line of scrimmage and forced opposing quarterbacks into making poor decisions.
But the goal is to have depth, which is something Joe Schoen neglected this season. Outside of Lawrence, none of the Giants’ interior defensive linemen have any pass rush capability – beyond undersized, undrafted free-agent Elijah Chatman. After Thibodeaux and Burns, the team relied on talented, but often injured Azeez Ojulari and did not bring in any real competition for depth edge rushers. Now, with the season all but over, the Giants’ pass rush is struggling to create sacks and make the game difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
The foundation for a formidable pass rush unit is there for the Giants with Burns and Lawrence leading the way, but this offseason needs to have an emphasis on building quality depth behind- hopefully through the draft with at least one relatively high pick because the NFL knows the Giants aren’t the Giants until they can consistently sack the quarterback.
Main Image: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
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