With the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the NY Giants selected edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon. This was a much needed selection, as the team’s pass rush ranked 22nd in sacks, 27th in quarterback knockdowns and 24th in QB hurries last campaign.
There were some bright spots in the pass rush, as former second-rounder Azeez Ojulari had a very solid season, tallying 49 tackles and eight sacks. However, things overall were very poor, so drafting a player of Thibodeaux’s caliber could be a huge addition to a defense that needs him.
As with every rookie, there are some high expectations for Thibodeaux. Whether they are set by himself, or the coaching staff, we believe he will meet most of the ones thrown at him. However, we have some even more head-turning things in mind for Thibodeaux to achieve. With that said, here are four ambitious goals for Thibodeaux in 2022.
1. Win Defensive Rookie of the Year
According to SportsBettingDime.com, Thibodeaux has the second-highest odds to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, only behind No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson. However, we believe Thibodeaux has possibly the best chance to win the honor.
Not only will Thibodeaux be opposite of a potentially an elite pass-rusher in Ojulari, he also has a much better defensive line around him than Hutchinson has with the Lions. This will make it much harder for offenses to single Thibodeaux out and potentially double team him.
The only player for the Giants to win the DROY award was a Hall of Famer and arguably the best defensive player of all time: Lawrence Taylor. So, if Thibodeaux can win this award, he would be joining some elite company for the organization.
We have always been much higher on Thibodeaux than any of the other pass-rushers in this year’s draft class. While there is a good chance that a player like defensive back Sauce Gardner could steal the honor from Thibodeaux, we believe that he has the best chance out of any of the other rookies to win the esteemed award.