The New York Giants rebuilt their defense this offseason. They added Paulson Adebo and Jevón Holland to their secondary. They drafted Abdul Carter. They doubled down with reinforcements along the front seven like they’re expecting the pass rush to carry the weight in 2025... which it just might.
But with all the new talent coming in, the spotlight doesn’t disappear. It shifts. And it just got a lot brighter on Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The G-Men didn’t pick up his fifth-year option because they had to. They did it because it made sense. It guarantees nothing beyond a longer look and a little extra control. And if 2025 doesn’t deliver the leap New York’s waiting for, that control might be used to send him on his way.
Thibodeaux’s raw numbers fell off last season — just 5.5 sacks in 12 games — but it wasn’t all regression. He posted a career-high 72.0 pass-rush grade, showing real signs of development even as he played through a wrist injury that required surgery midseason. The flashes were there, but the capitalization wasn’t. For someone drafted fifth overall to be a cornerstone, he has to put it all together.
New York made that clear when they spent the No. 3 pick on Carter. There are no more excuses. Thibodeaux has help now — more than he’s ever had — and if he doesn’t produce, someone else will.
Kayvon Thibodeaux enters prove-it year with Giants
Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman summed it up best: “Though he earned a career-high 72.0 PFF pass-rush grade last season, Thibodeaux played in just 12 games and has yet to live up to the hype of his fifth-overall selection. While the Giants can get creative with Carter’s versatility, Thibodeaux still needs to prove he can be a foundational piece of their defense.”
There's no denying it's a make-or-break season for Thibs. The output hasn’t matched the pedigree, and now the Giants have options. They’ve built out the pass rush with Brian Burns, Carter, and Dexter Lawrence — not to mention a deeper rotation that could give this rush gas all season. It’s a great setup for a breakout. It’s also a setup for a changing of the guard if things go sideways.
Thibodeaux has said all the right things. He’s aiming high — only the franchise record, and embracing the extra eyes on him. But the tape from last year tells the story: too many plays left unfinished in the backfield, too many could-have-been sacks that could’ve changed outcomes. He knows it. The Giants know it. Everyone’s watching to see if it changes.
If it does, Big Blue might finally have the pass-rushing trio it’s been trying to build since the Super Bowl years. If it doesn’t, the front office just bought itself a soft landing. Either way, 2025 is going to tell the story.