Brian Burns

Burns racked up career highs with 12.5 sacks and 63 tackles last season despite all the turmoil around him, as coach Matt Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow were both fired after Week 5, but his 30 QB pressures was actually his fewest in three years. The Florida State product heads into the final year of his rookie contract looking to take another step forward, but new coordinator Ejiro Evero likely will have a bigger impact on the Panthers' secondary than their pass rush, and Burns got no significant help in the offseason.

If Burns ever plays for a team with a positive point differential he could lead the league in sacks. The bad news is that the Panthers offense will likely remain awful, and Burns will have to continue pushing the boulder uphill. The good news is Burns is still improving even though he’s already a top talent. He has one of the league’s best per-snap production profiles among defensive ends and just turned 24 in April.

Burns might not be a household name, but that could change soon. Burns has 16.5 sacks on 1,233 career snaps — a rate of about 11 sacks per 800 snaps — and just turned 23 in April. That level of pass-rushing production shows he already has strong skills as a pass rusher, and he has elite athletic tools to build on that game. At 6-5, 249, Burns ran a 4.53-second 40 while posting a 129-inch broad jump. Pair that elite explosiveness with his huge wingspan and you have a defender with exceptional range.

Last year's 16th overall pick, Burns got off to a hot start as a rookie, totaling 4.5 sacks and returning a fumble for a touchdown across his first six games. He then underwent a minor wrist procedure and saw his snap count slide over the second half of the season, but he still finished with 25 tackles and 7.5 sacks while playing all 16 games. Entering his second year, the 6-5 speedster will hope that strength added to his 250-pound frame will help him hold up better against the run and become a more complete player, which is an intriguing thought considering his explosive upside.

Following the retirement of Julius Peppers, a franchise cornerstone who ranks fourth all-time in sacks, the Panthers unsurprisingly added to their front seven through the draft. In fact, they didn't wait long, taking Burns 16th overall. At 6-5, 249, Burns tested at an elite level prior to the draft, making him a mouth-watering prospect off the edge. In three seasons at Florida State, he posted 23 sacks, including 10 in his final year. Carolina will hope he can also stand up to more powerful players, but the opportunity for early playing time is certainly there for Burns to show his stuff. That makes the 21-year-old an intriguing commodity as he embarks on his NFL career.