"This s**t ain't rocket science": Brian Burns doesn't hold back on how to fix Giants' defense

The New York Giants have had a rough couple of years. Most of the attention on their failures has been on the offense, with former quarterback Daniel Jones falling short of elevating the team to its former glory. To add to that, the defense has not been great either.

On Wednesday, Giants linebacker Brian Burns gave his take on how the Giants can fix their defense:

"This s**t ain't rocket science, it's as far as we want to take it. The sky's the limit."

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For Burns, the solution to their defensive woes is simple. The defense as a whole is as strong as the players in it, and Burns believes it's on them to improve as they prepare for the season.

Last season, the Giants' defense conceded 24 points a game on average, the same as the 2023 season. This ranked them in the lower end of the league's defenses, but not by far the worst.

To show the importance of defense last year, eight of their 14 losses were within one possession.

It is clear that their defense needs a revamp, and they have slowly curated a team that's moving in the right direction. The likes of Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Deonte Banks have all made strong contributions to the team.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the team used its third pick on Abdul Carter, the star linebacker from Penn State. This shows that, while very slow, the Giants' defense is being rebuilt, though it may take some time for the changes to pay off.

Brian Burns is praised by Dexter Lawrence

In the short time that he has been with the team, Brian Burns has made a strong impression on his teammates. On Tuesday, Dexter Lawrence said the following about Burns to the media:

"I think his game is unlimited, honestly. He can speed rush you. He can power you. He can finesse you. He's not a little guy either, so he's got a lot to his game. He's tapped into it more this training camp, and that's good to see."

Last season, Burns made a career-high 71 tackles and was one of the standout players for the team. He hopes to repeat this in 2025, making himself a perfect mentor for Abdul Carter.

Carter, on the other hand, is expected to bring another dimension to the Giants' defense. His 68 tackles, with 23.5 for loss in his senior season at Penn State, are something worth watching out for as he enters the NFL.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

Giants Nation! Check out the latest New York Giants Schedule and dive into the Giants Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Gio Vergara