Atlanta Falcons Potential First Round Pick: Brian Burns

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Defensive end Brian Burns of Florida State University is one of the top five edge defender prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. He stands at 6’5 and weighs 249 pounds. Brian originally hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was ranked as a five-star prospect coming out of high school after racking up 28 sacks in his final two years of prep football.

Upon arriving at FSU, Brian Burns made a name for himself quickly. He was named a freshman All American, taking down opponents quarterbacks to the tune of 8.5 sacks. He also had 9.5 tackles for a loss. In addition, Burns also forced a fumble.

As a sophomore in college, Brian Burns faced many more double teams as a pass rusher. This resulted in a dramatic decrease in sacks, down to 4.5 as a sophomore. However Brian did increase his tackles for a loss total to 13.5. He also created more turnover opportunities for his team, forcing three fumbles, and recovering one. Another positive thing Burns did as a sophomore was learned to get his hands up to bat down passes when unable to get to the quarterback. This resulted in four passes defended for Burns. He also more than doubled his total tackles from 23 as a freshman, to 48 as a sophomore. Burns was also a special team’s ace, blocking two punts.

As a junior, Brian Burns had his best collegiate season yet. He was able to increase his tackles again, this time registering 52 for the season. Brian also improved his tackles for a loss total, making 15.5 stops for a loss. He also matched totals from the previous season, forcing three more fumbles and recovering another fumble as well. He also defended three passes. Most importantly, Burns notched a career high ten quarterback sacks. The impressive thing about these stats is that Burns achieved them without the benefit of a bowl game, in which he surely would have added to his totals. He was named First Team All ACC in recognition of his outstanding junior campaign. Following the season, Brian Burns declared for the NFL draft.

Take a look at these highlights of Brian Burns, courtesy of the College Films YouTube channel: