While his name has appeared a handful of times in mock drafts, the 2019 combine should produce more projections with Florida State pass rusher Brian Burns to the Detroit Lions at No. 8 overall. Burns was one of the big winners of the weekend, thanks to both his body and his body of work.
First came the measurements, and Burns checked the boxes with his weight, length and wingspan:
For a player who entered Florida State at “about 210” according to his combine interview, and who played in the upper 230s for the Seminoles, the 249 pounds was a welcome sight.
The added bulk clearly didn’t slow him down. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, the second-fastest time for any EDGE. His 7.01 time in the 3-cone drill, also one of the best times in the preeminent measurement for agility.
Burns produced at Florida State, too. His 10 sacks last fall tied for 12th nationally, a nice uptick in his final year. He also forced three fumbles and notched three PDs. While Burns still lacks power relative to some of his pass rush peers, he improved his leverage and hand usage throughout his 2018 season and the added weight can only help.
Is it enough to convince the Lions he is the man at No. 8? We will see in April, but he needs to be strongly considered in the conversation.
