Given their penchant for profanity and late-night WFAN calls, you would think New York Giants fans would have long since lost their patience for Kayvon Thibodeaux.
That’s surprisingly not the case, at least according to the Giants’ official subreddit. Thibodeaux remains without a sack or tackle for loss, and he’s gone five consecutive games without a quarterback hit. John Harbaugh has publicly backed the 2022 No. 5 pick and instead raved about his strengths in rush defense.
Harbaugh’s latest comments, in which he said people are “underestimating” Thibodeaux’s production, drew plenty of support and positive feedback on Reddit.
“People are overly hard on him because of his draft position and hype, which is totally fair,” one fan wrote of Thibodeaux. “It doesn’t mean he isn’t a serviceable player though."
Another added: “He’s doing what he’s being coached to do. That’s what a defensive player is supposed to do. Guys like him do the work so others can get numbers. Good for him for gaining Harbaugh’s trust.”
John Harbaugh and New York Giants fans are in denial about veteran edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux
Harbaugh and the Giants’ staff elected not to trade Thibodeaux this past spring, and the results have been incredibly underwhelming. We keep hearing about the ex-Oregon star’s positive impact, yet Harbaugh recently implied the team doesn’t trust Thibodeaux to rush the quarterback.
Maybe we’re overthinking things, but that’s not exactly a glowing indictment when Brian Burns is out for the year with a torn ACL.
“I’m disappointed that he’s not a generational edge rusher with 15 sacks a year too,” read one comment, “but he does some nice stuff [in] the run game and should have a decent career in the NFL.”
There’s only one problem: The Giants didn’t invest a top-five pick in someone who only provides “nice stuff” in run defense. Otherwise, Thibodeaux wouldn’t have had 11.5 sacks and forced three fumbles as a second-year pro. And while we acknowledge that counting stats can sometimes be misleading, the eye test doesn’t disagree.
Giants fans clearly trust Harbaugh, and he’s done nothing to lose their faith. He’s been willing to hold players accountable, and it took embattled running back Tyrone Tracy nearly a month to escape the proverbial doghouse. Regardless of what struggling guard Jon Runyan Jr. says, a 3-1-1 start is still a 3-1-1 start, and the Giants are on track for their first NFC East title since 2011.
But at some point, we need to call things what they are: Thibodeaux hasn’t lived up to his draft billing, and he’s not the difference-maker the Giants want you to think he is. Why else would he be playing on the fifth-year option without even the slightest rumblings of him earning a long-term deal?
Just remember: The Giants won’t go far if they’re not recording sacks or tackles for loss, and Thibodeaux isn’t helping.
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