"Regularly wins off his first step but struggles through contact and needs to operate in space to be effective"
Strengths:
Explosive edge presence with great length. Solid initial explosion and great lateral quickness. Changes direction quickly. Fast in the open field and will chase plays down.
Flashes good leverage occasionally. Flashes ability to beat an OL's hands quickly. Solid ball awareness and the wing span to swat or jump in a passing lane.
Great athlete who's a scoop and score type on a loose ball. Developing player with a lot of upside. Strong character guy.
Weaknesses:
Gives up a lot of strength and bulk. Gets regularly pushed wide despite winning off the snap. Regularly blocked out of the run and can struggle to set the edge.
Quick but often runs into trash tracking the ball. Lacks ideal fluidity and can struggle to finish through contact. Often doesn't have a plan and lacks a variety of moves.
Decent motor but checks out mentally & physically on some plays. Bulked up for post season testing but his playing weight was considerably lighter.
Series of short clips here show Burns' get off and impressive athletic ability but also demonstrate his one trick pony-ness. Versus NIU's draftable OT Max Scharping, Burns doesn't have much of a plan and is generally neutralized by technique.
Overall:
Burns is a tall, twitchy guy off the edge and regularly wins off his first step. But his lack of strength and ideal fluidity cause him to struggle with contact. He's pushed wide or walled off with ease at the poa.
He's a fighter that can with effort and occasional hand work but often losses the trench battle. He's a raw talent with few pass rush moves but wins with athleticism, length and stretches of great hustle.
He played at around 230 lb before bulking up to 250 pre draft. Regardless, it's his play strength that's an issue, not his weight. He's ideally suited for a edge LB spot where he can stand up and range in space, using his versatility, instead of trying to live predominantly up at the poa.
NFL Comp: stiffer Leonard Floyd