Despite making two top-10 selections in the 2022 NFL Draft, the New York Giants whiffed on both picks. Kayvon Thibodeaux has been serviceable but has never returned top-five value, while Evan Neal has been one of the worst linemen in football since he entered the league after a stellar career in Tuscaloosa.
While Thibodeaux is under contract through 2026, Neal is set to become a free agent this spring. Both former first-rounders have long been at the subject of trade rumors, with Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox suggesting the 0-2 Giants could move on from the pair before the 2025 trade deadline.
Knox realizes that both Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are on the hot seat and are in dire need of making moves to save their jobs. Schoen has improved drastically as a talent evaluator, but Thibodeaux and Wan'Dale Robinson remain the only contributors from his first draft, a far cry from his success stories in 2024 and 2025.
Evan Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux might not be Giants for much longer
Knox also mentioned that the G-Men could get a second-round pick in exchange for Thibodeaux, which would be a mistake not to accept. With Abdul Carter and Brian Burns both in the fold, the expectation is that the former Oregon standout is on the outside looking in, especially since it's unlikely New York will be able to distribute the payday he desires.
The former No. 5 overall pick amassed 11.5 sacks in 2023, but has struggled since. He was supposed to be the league's next great edge rusher, but has been phased out by Carter. And if Big Blue keeps losing, they very well could look into moving him.
The 2025 Giants hang their hat on the defensive line, but Thibodeaux would need to record the second double-digit sack season of his career to warrant the team keeping him beyond this season. However, Neal is a different story.
The fact that the Giants' offensive line is among the worst in football and the 25-year-old still can't crack the rotation is telling... and a little pathetic.
The Alabama product was ruled a healthy inactive in both Weeks 1 and 2, and transitioned to guard in hopes of reviving his career, but that crashed and burned. Neal's days in New York are clearly numbered to the point where it would be a shock if Schoen could return any value.
Regardless of the end result, this draft class was expected to be a pillar of Daboll and Schoen's rebuild, yet their vision for this group fizzled out before a second contract.