Yes, the addition of Brian Burns is massive for the NY Giants pass-rush, but don't forget about former No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux - not for a minute. Thibodeaux is coming off the best year of his young career, posting 11.5 sacks in 2023.
Now that he's going to be working with Burns in the trenches, you already know Thibodeux is fired up to get the new season going. And when he takes the field in September for Week 1, it looks like we're going to be seeing a new Thibodeaux in terms of his body too. The Giants posted new photos from the voluntary offseason program and a main takeaway is that Thibodeaux looks much bigger:
Kayvon always this big? pic.twitter.com/pSPSUsa5hU
— Bobby Spence (@postcrabcore) May 1, 2024
Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns will be a dream duo for the NY Giants
Thibodeaux tossing around 130 pounds on each side like it's nothing? Talk about things you love to see. The former first-rounder indeed looks quite strong, which should be a problem for opposing offensive tackles from start to finish in 2024.
Thibodeaux's rookie season didn't go quite as planned, as a knee injury forced him to miss the first pact of the year. He then took the field for 14 games, posting 49 total tackles and four sacks. The sacks total was a bit low, especially after the youngster entered the season saying he was hoping to post one per game.
However, Thibodeaux bounced back in a big way last season, finishing with his 11.5 sacks and 50 tackles. He did so without having a consistent pass-rush mate, as Azeez Ojulari once again was injured for a good portion of the campaign.
With Burns now in town, though, these two have the potential to form one of the best pass-rush duos in the league. Burns has arrived in East Rutherford with monster pressure attached to his name, especially after Joe Schoen and Co. gave him a $150 million extension.
He's being paid as one of the top pass-rushers in the NFL and fans are going to want to see him back things up. After Daniel Jones failed to live up to his $160 million deal, for now that is, Giants Nation doesn't want to see another flop arrive. Fortunately, we think Burns will be a monster for the Giants and he'll have Thibodeaux close by ready to post some huge plays too. All in all, great news has surrounded the Giants defense this offseason and a more jacked Thibodeaux is surely an added plus.