Will Brian Burns match or exceed his production from last year in the 2026 NFL season with the New York Giants and stand among the league’s best performers once again?
Burns finished second in the NFL in sacks in 2025 with 16.5. He earned second-team All-Pro honors and established himself as one of the best edge rushers in the league. Peers ranked him No. 14 overall on this year’s NFL Top 100 list, but how he stacks up against the rest of the league’s elite in 2026 will be decided on the field. His prospects of remaining an elite performer are strong.
ESPN surprisingly projected Burns as the 81st-best player in the NFL in 2026, with a stat line of 11 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Burns is coming off a career-best 16.5 sacks and looks even better
this summer. "He does so many things well, he's going to excel," said new coach John Harbaugh about Burns' prospects in new coordinator Dennard Wilson's defense. Burns also shouldn't be getting a ton of double-teams with the continued development of Abdul Carter. He was doubled at a rate of just over 13% last season. -- Jordan Raanan
Signature stat: Burns had the second-most sacks in the NFL last season, which marked the most by a Giants player in a single season since Jason Pierre-Paul's 16.5 in 2011.
2026 projections: 64 tackles, 11 sacks, 5 PDs, 2 FFs
Burns has a stronger coaching structure in place for next season. New Giants head coach John Harbaugh brings Super Bowl experience, and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is also on staff. Burns has the talent to record closer to 20 sacks, a total that would place him among the NFL’s top performers if he reaches or comes close to that mark.
Meanwhile, ESPN also projected that left tackle Andrew Thomas will be the 82nd-best player in the NFL in 2026.
Thomas is entering a season healthy for the first time in years. And when he's healthy, he's one of the league's best left tackles. His 92.3% pass block win rate is the fifth best among all left tackles over the past three seasons. There is no reason to think that will dip with Thomas healthy and in his prime. -- Jordan Raanan
Signature stat: Last season, Thomas was one of three offensive tackles to rank in the top 15 of pass block win rate and run block win rate. The other two were the Rams' Warren McClendon Jr. and the Vikings' Brian O'Neill.
Neither Burns nor Thomas was ranked on ESPN's list in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 2 New York Giants named to ESPN's Top 100 Players of 2026 list
