2019 NFL mock draft: Carolina Panthers select Brian Burns

The Carolina Panthers are a hard team to figure out. Just when you think they’ve got it all figured out, they’ll blindside you with a 6-10 season. Since 2013, the Panthers have had 12, 15 and 11-win seasons, and each time, they’ve followed it up with a losing record.

It’s a tough ask of a commenter to help turn around this Panthers franchise via our Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, but considering the Panthers are coming off a 7-9 year, maybe this will be their bounceback season.

Acting as Carolina Panthers general manager is BigJShaky. With the 16th pick in the Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, the Panthers have taken Florida State edge defender Brian Burns. Here’s BigJShaky with the explanation:

“After starting the 2018 season at 6-2, my Carolina Panthers went on a seven-game (!) losing streak, finishing the year at 7-9. Whoops. Here are the main targets my leadership team helped to highlight to make a return to the playoffs in the coming season:

• Offensive Tackle – So the strategy of “sign all the Kalil brothers” didn’t work out as hoped.
• EDGE – Julius Peppers is not walking through that door. No seriously … he’s retired.
• Safety – Well … at least we helped Eric Reid catch on with a team.

While the hyper-athletic offensive tackle, Andre Dillard, may have turned our sprint to the podium into a swift jog, our team’s decision was quite clear here. Brian Burns is a special athlete on the edge, with a RAS clocking in at 9.91. 9.91! Sure, some may suggest he’s a bit light to be a true DE, but he just proved he can put on weight while maintaining his athleticism by getting up to 249 pounds at the combine. At Florida State, he still demonstrated an ability to defend the run and set the edge by utilizing his length effectively. Plus, I expect Ron Rivera and his coaching staff to move Burns around the formation, rushing from multiple positions and angles. With Bruce Irvin on the team, Burns can learn from one of the best at that hybrid DE/LB position.

After finishing with just 35 sacks last season, we expect Burns’ elite bend to help return our defense to one of the best in the league. Burns is a refined pass rusher who combines his incredible athleticism with a high motor. Hopefully the Panthers’ playoff hiatus ends after just one season.”

Track all of the picks in our POD Community Mock Draft here.