Florida State edge rusher Brian Burns: ‘There’s multiple ways teams have evaluated me’

This is what NFL teams know about Florida State’s Brian Burns: he can get after the quarterback.

In 12 starts as a junior last season, he had 10 sacks.

‘I honestly don’t know what I’m going to play’

But now that NFL teams are trying to determine Burns’ best fit at the next level, there are a variety of opinions.

“Honestly, my position in the league has been described in very different perspectives,” he told Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Movin’ The Chains. “Some see me as an end, some see me as a stand-up, some see me off the ball. So there’s multiple ways that teams have evaluated me. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to play, but I’m fine with all three.”

‘As long as I’m on the edge, that’s what my experiences have come from’

Although Burns is confident he can “excel at them all,” he has more comfort working from a three-point stance or as a stand-up outside linebacker.

“Just from a pass-rushing standpoint, as far as setting guys up, you can sack a dude with speed, play after play, outside, outside, outside, which is going to ultimately get in his head to make him think that you’re going to keep going outside and he’s scared of your speed.”

“Those are the main two,” he said. “As long as I’m on the edge, that’s what my experiences have come from. But I feel like I can excel at them all. Just from a pass-rushing standpoint, as far as setting guys up, you can sack a dude with speed, play after play, outside, outside, outside, which is going to ultimately get in his head to make him think that you’re going to keep going outside and he’s scared of your speed.

‘If he over-sets you, you can easily counter that with an inside move, inside spin, inside swim, double swipe, anything like that’

“He’s threatened by the speed, so he’s going to start to over-set or deep-set you. If he over-sets you, you can easily counter that with an inside move, inside spin, inside swim, double swipe, anything like that. Or, if he starts to deep set, he goes too far, he’s bailing on you, then you can go to a speed-to-power move, a long arm, stutter-bull, things like that.”