With The First Pick
Fansided

Winners, losers from 1st round of 2019 NFL draft

By Bryan Perez

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being announced as the second pick in the first round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being announced as the second pick in the first round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Winner: Carolina Panthers

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The only way for defenses in the NFL to have a chance against the league’s high-octane offenses is to have a ferocious pass rush and strong cover guys in the secondary. The Panthers took a big step in strengthening the first part of that equation with the selection of Florida State edge defender, Brian Burns.

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Burns was viewed by some draft analysts as the pass rusher with the most upside in the entire class. He’s quick, twitchy and has a strong arsenal of pass-rush moves. He’s going to make an impact early in his career, assuming he can stay at a reasonable playing weight.

Burns slid to Carolina because of his slight frame; he weighed 250 at the NFL combine after weeks of calorie loading and, according to him, a difficult weight-gaining regiment. Can he keep the extra bulk needed to compete against NFL offensive linemen? We’ll see. But assuming he does, he has double-digit sack upside in the NFC South.

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