The New York Giants haven’t had many players in the annual NFL top 100, but star edge defender Brian Burns placed No. 14th in this year’s ranking. The list is player-voted, and this was the 16th consecutive year of the process.
Burns set a career high in 2025 with 16.5 sacks and tied his career high in STOPs with 42 (he also had 42 in 2024 with the Giants). His 53 pressures in 2026 were the third-highest of his career, and he continued to display elite leadership skills through another dismal New
York Giants season.
Burns, now entering his age-28 season, was ranked 55th after the 2024 season, when he recorded 61 pressures, 42 STOPs, and 8.5 sacks in his first season as a Giant. Burns is the highest-ranked New York Giant since Odell Beckham Jr. ranked eighth in 2017 and tenth in 2016. Burns is the third-highest-ranked player since the league started the list 16 years ago.
Dexter Lawrence was ranked 17th in 2025 and Saquon Barkley 16th in 2019. New York has had at least one player on the list in every season from 2011 to 2026, and Burns — so far — is the only player to crack the list in 2026. Andrew Thomas, a respected left tackle for the New York Giants, has yet to make an appearance on the list, but Thomas did rank 46th on Pro Football Network’s Top 100 list in 2026.
Brian Burns is primed for another great season with the Giants. Dennard Wilson is now coordinating the defense, with an upgrade at both starting linebacker spots. Burns will look to dominate in his third season as a New York Giant.
