Kayvon Thibodeaux has the perfect sacks mindset for the 2023 season
It was a strong rookie season for New York Giants 2022 No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. Looking to prove he was worth being called so early, the former Oregon Duck posted four sacks and applied a lot of pressure, especially during the second half of the season, on opposing quarterbacks.
During his rookie campaign, the outside linebacker was able to record four sacks and 49 total tackles (11 for loss). He also forced two fumbles and recovered one for a touchdown in a road game against the Washington Commanders in Week 15.
But now with his sophomore season coming up this fall, this is where we expect most second-year players in the NFL to take a major step forward in their game. But for Thibodeaux, all he wants to do is play football and get better. He's not focused on any kind of number for bringing down QBs. He just wants to help this team win:
Kayvon Thibodeaux had a specific number of sacks as a goal last season. He said he doesn’t have a number this year. Why?
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) May 31, 2023
“When you go four or five games with no sacks, you start to realize: Fuck that number. What can I do to just make a play?”
Giants pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux just wants to play better in 2023
It is crazy to think that now in his second season in the NFL, Thibodeaux, who wanted to post a sack per game in 2022, now had to use an expletive to say bluntly that all he wants to do is be better and make a play. This shows plenty of maturity from the young pass-rusher.
Now in Year 2 for Big Blue, it really does beg the question about what he can do for an encore in his sophomore season. He impressed many during his rookie year and played especially well down the stretch. So, how many sacks will the talented linebacker record in 2023?
While I expect Thibodeaux to play a lot better in his second year, fans shouldn't expect him to post record-breaking numbers. Thibodeaux can definitely reach the 8-10 mark in sacks for this campaign, which would be huge for him.
Thibodeaux understands Wink Martindale's schemes on defense and he played great down the stretch towards the end of last season. All signs are pointing to him being a force in the trenches for the G-Men in '23, which is why we think he should flirt with double-digit sacks.