New Carolina Panthers edge rusher D.J. Wonnum is making it very clear right off the bat that he is not Brian Burns.
The Panthers signed Wonnum in the wake of trading Burns to the New York Giants last week, which has many thinking that Carolina views Wonnum as a Burns replacement.
But Wonnum does not want that kind of pressure.
“Well, I’m not looking to replace anybody,” Wonnum said, via Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire. “I’m looking to be the best version of myself, the best player I know I can be. And obviously, the film that I’ve put out there, I can be an every-down starter. I can play the run, I can pass rush, I can drop in coverage, I can do whatever coach wants me to do. Obviously going here and coming here, I’ll be able to showcase that. And the future is bright for myself and the Carolina Panthers.”
Wonnum is coming off of an impressive 2023 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings in which he played 15 games and racked up 62 tackles, eight sacks, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.
As a matter of fact, he logged just as many sacks as Burns did this past season.
Of course, Wonnum was also playing with superstar pass rusher Danielle Hunter in Minnesota, and he will not have that same kind of luxury with the Panthers.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of South Carolina, was selected by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He had a relatively quiet rookie season, finishing with 24 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in 14 contests. The following year, Wonnum showed considerable progression, participating in every game and registering 47 tackles, eight sacks and a forced fumble.
The Stone Mountain, Ga. native then took a bit of a step back in 2022, posting 38 tackles and four sacks before rebounding nicely this past year.
We’ll see what D.J. Wonnum can do in Burns’ stead in 2024.
More must-reads: