Much has been said about Kayvon Thibodeaux and his future role, or lack thereof, with the New York Giants. The conversations started as soon as the G-Men selected Abdul Carter third overall in the 2025 Draft.
Many thought he'd become expendable, given Brian Burns was carrying a $28.2 million average annual salary, and the arrival of Carter. But general manager Joe Schoen went a different route, picking up KT’s fifth-year option immediately after the draft.
The former Oregon standout's 2025 season only brought more questions than answers, and with his fifth year about to kick in, those same conversations are starting to rear their ugly heads again. Schoen was reluctant to trade the 25-year-old at last season's trade deadline, despite interest, but now with John Harbaugh running the show as the new head coach, that stance could change.
Patricia Traina of Giants on SI floated Los Angeles Chargers pass-rusher Odafe Oweh as a proactive, eventual replacement for Thibs, as the 2022 fifth-overall pick’s future in East Rutherford looks murkier than ever. Traina writes:
"By being proactive now, the Giants can bring in a still-young, promising edge rusher with a decent enough resume, which gives them some flexibility should they want to move Thibodeaux before his contract ends."
John Harbaugh's Odafe Oweh connection could spell doom for Kayvon Thibodeaux
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Oweh 31st overall in 2021 out of Penn State to fill a crucial need at pass-rusher. The 27-year-old spent his first four seasons with John before being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers (led by brother Jim) midseason last year.
The Oweh-for-Thibodeaux swap is an interesting thought experiment -- the two players are eerily similar:
Kayvon Thibodeaux | Odafe Oweh | |
|---|---|---|
Age | 25 | 27 |
Size | 6-foot-5, 258 pounds | 6-foot-5, 251 pounds |
Games played/possible | 53/68 | 79/85 |
Career sacks | 23.5 | 30.5 |
Career QB hits | 31 | 34 |
Career tackles for loss | 55 | 79 |
Durability concerns? | Medium | Minor |
They also share the same birthday (Dec. 15). Like I said, eerily similar. The one clear area where Oweh wins is the durability. Availability is the best ability, and too often, Thibs is missing time.
Aside from needing to trade Thibodeaux and rostering premier pass-rushers Burns and Carter, Big Blue's limited cap space represents the biggest hurdle to any Odafe Oweh signing. It's tough to gauge exactly what his next contract will look like, but it's a safe bet it'll be in the ballpark of $15 million.
He might not be known as the league's most terrorizing sack artist, but the going rate for above-average, young pass-rushers isn't cheap. Still, it could be less than whatever Thibodeaux's about to command once his rookie deal is up. Injuries and an incompetent defensive coordinator really set him back in 2025. It's anyone's guess as to how well he'll perform in his new situation.
Related: New prediction has Giants trading top pass rusher in surprise offseason move
Listen, I don't hate it. Oweh feels like the safer bet, while Thibs feels like the higher-risk, higher-reward. The choice will ultimately come down to Harbaugh. If his hiring trends are any indication, anyone and everyone who was associated with the Ravens will be coming to East Rutherford.