There might be no bigger question mark surrounding the New York Football Giants than what they plan on doing with 25-year-old pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. It’s been a song and dance of will they, won’t they, and no one has the answers.
It doesn’t even feel like the Giants do.
Every week, the 2022 fifth overall pick finds himself in trade rumors. Whether there's rumored interest from another team or it's new valuation speculation, Thibs can't escape the clutches of Rumor SZN, and until he's actually dealt, the noise will only get louder. You’d think with Brian Burns and Abdul Carter on the roster, Thibodeaux would be at least somewhat expendable. But Joe Schoen has shown no willingness to move on from his first draft selection as Big Blue's general manager.
The holdup seems to be the return package, with reports suggesting the Giants are looking for something a lot more optimistic than what the market is actually going to give them for an oft-injured pass-rusher with 23.5 sacks in four seasons. But all it takes is the right offer.
And Bills on SI writer Randy Gurzi might've provided it. He views the five-year veteran pass-rusher as one of his top three trade targets to help get Buffalo over the top:
"Thibodeaux is coming off an injury-shortened campaign and hasn’t lived up to his draft status. He’s been the subject of trade rumored and while a fourth-round pick has been floated as a potential asking price, Buffalo might need to send a third since they’re expected to be drafting late."
Giants should take the deal if this Kayvon Thibodeaux offer becomes real
For what feels like forever, Schoen has been stuck on getting a first- or second-round pick for Thibodeaux (good luck), but a third-rounder is probably the best offer he’s going to get. And considering the G-Men don’t have a third-round pick this year, adding another Day 2 selection (around No. 91) would be a major win.
The 2026 class lacks top-end talent, but there's a high volume of talent in the mid-rounds. That pick could give the G-Men a new starting right guard or another receiver for franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart. At this point, that's a better move than keeping Thibodeaux on the roster for nostalgia's sake.
Not only would they land a rookie deal lottery ticket, but they’d also clear $14.75 million in cap space to get someone who gives them a chance to compete now, whether that’s a bigger-named free agent or a trade target. Addition by addition and subtraction... funny how that works.
Schoen can keep holding out for a better offer, but that doesn’t mean one is coming his way anytime soon. If this is where the market is, then this is where the market is. His age, draft pedigree, and positional value will trick people into thinking he's more valuable than he likely is, especially at this point, so stealing a third-rounder would be awesome.