Carolina Panthers 2019 season awards
By Luke Tucker
Defensive Rookie of the Year — Brian Burns, LB/EDGE
Despite playing just 43% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2019, Brian Burns was still one of the more impactful defenders when he was on the field. In a limited amount of playing time, Burns collected 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. He hurried the opposing quarterback on eight other occasions, and recorded a scoop-and-score in a Week Five win over the Jaguars.
Other than Burns, the only other defensive rookie who did anything somewhat meaningful was Christian Miller, and he was inactive for most of the year. Aside from those two, the Panthers had only one other defensive rookie that played a snap. Linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk was in for seven plays on defense during Carolina’s Week 17 loss, as the undrafted free agent was almost entirely regulated to special teams duty in his rookie year.
With Kuechly gone, it would be wise for the Panthers to shift their focus to Burns on the defensive side of the ball. He proved his worth when he was given opportunities to play, and showed flashes of his Von Miller-like potential. Don’t be a bit surprised if Burns finishes the 2020 season with 12.0 sacks or more. That’s how good he can be.