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Who is going to rush the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints this year? Their edge rusher rotation may go as far as Chase Young and Carl Granderson can take them, and without Cameron Jordan returning (yet), the depth chart suddenly looks awful thin. One name that's been consistently linked to the Saints: New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
It came out after the 2026 draft that the Saints were the team expressing the most interest in acquiring Thibodeaux, but the two sides couldn't meet in the middle on trade compensation. The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported that the Saints wouldn't go past their fourth-round pick at No. 132, while the Giants wouldn't accept less than their second rounder at No. 42. In the end, the Saints moved on and dealt a fifth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for edge rusher Tyree Wilson and a seventh rounder. After the draft, New Orleans signed former New England Patriots outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings and Central Michigan rookie free agent Michael Heldman to add competition to the group.
But what if the door isn't shut on a deal for Thibodeaux? ESPN rounded up its experts and floated a couple of hypothetical trade offers for the former first-round pick. And they suggested a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft could get it done. Chris Rumph II, Fadil Diggs, and Myles Cole also returned from last year's team.
"The Giants would likely need a quality Day 2 pick to part with Thibodeaux, especially with Arvell Reese starting his career at inside linebacker. But New Orleans has inquired about Thibodeaux and still has a need at edge rusher after failing to reach a deal with Cameron Jordan thus far. In 2027, the Saints have a third-rounder and two fourth-rounders with which to maneuver," wrote ESPN's league insider Jeremy Fowler.
First off, it's uncertain whether the Saints do actually own two fourth-round picks in 2027. The experts at Tankathon have them receiving a fourth-round compensatory pick for losing cornerback Alontae Taylor in free agency, but they cite Over The Cap's Nick Korte for comp pick projections. And his model doesn't have the Saints getting a pick back for Taylor. While they did lose as many players as they signed in free agency, OTC doesn't expect the losses of tight ends Foster Moreau and Jack Stoll or center Luke Fortner to count. Only contracts valued at about $3 million or more per year factor into the comp picks formula. Moreau is right at that number while Stoll and Fortner fall short of it.
It would be much easier to stomach trading a Round 3 pick in next year's draft for Thibodeaux if the Saints had multiple picks to work with in Round 4. If that isn't the case, this may be too rich for them. It's also still possible Jordan could re-sign with New Orleans.
Either way, ESPN's NFL Nation Giants beat reporter Jordan Raanan was not convinced a deal gets done:
A third rounder would be the best compensatory pick the Giants could hope for if Thibodeaux leaves in free agency after the 2026 season, and they wouldn't get it until 2028. So you could make the argument that a 2027 third rounder would be worthwhile. But if New York isn't eager to unload Thibodeaux and the Saints are looking to protect their 2027 draft picks, this one may not come together after all.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Giants rumors: ESPN says Saints may still trade for Kayvon Thibodeaux
Continue reading...
It came out after the 2026 draft that the Saints were the team expressing the most interest in acquiring Thibodeaux, but the two sides couldn't meet in the middle on trade compensation. The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported that the Saints wouldn't go past their fourth-round pick at No. 132, while the Giants wouldn't accept less than their second rounder at No. 42. In the end, the Saints moved on and dealt a fifth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for edge rusher Tyree Wilson and a seventh rounder. After the draft, New Orleans signed former New England Patriots outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings and Central Michigan rookie free agent Michael Heldman to add competition to the group.
But what if the door isn't shut on a deal for Thibodeaux? ESPN rounded up its experts and floated a couple of hypothetical trade offers for the former first-round pick. And they suggested a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft could get it done. Chris Rumph II, Fadil Diggs, and Myles Cole also returned from last year's team.
"The Giants would likely need a quality Day 2 pick to part with Thibodeaux, especially with Arvell Reese starting his career at inside linebacker. But New Orleans has inquired about Thibodeaux and still has a need at edge rusher after failing to reach a deal with Cameron Jordan thus far. In 2027, the Saints have a third-rounder and two fourth-rounders with which to maneuver," wrote ESPN's league insider Jeremy Fowler.
First off, it's uncertain whether the Saints do actually own two fourth-round picks in 2027. The experts at Tankathon have them receiving a fourth-round compensatory pick for losing cornerback Alontae Taylor in free agency, but they cite Over The Cap's Nick Korte for comp pick projections. And his model doesn't have the Saints getting a pick back for Taylor. While they did lose as many players as they signed in free agency, OTC doesn't expect the losses of tight ends Foster Moreau and Jack Stoll or center Luke Fortner to count. Only contracts valued at about $3 million or more per year factor into the comp picks formula. Moreau is right at that number while Stoll and Fortner fall short of it.
It would be much easier to stomach trading a Round 3 pick in next year's draft for Thibodeaux if the Saints had multiple picks to work with in Round 4. If that isn't the case, this may be too rich for them. It's also still possible Jordan could re-sign with New Orleans.
Either way, ESPN's NFL Nation Giants beat reporter Jordan Raanan was not convinced a deal gets done:
A third rounder would be the best compensatory pick the Giants could hope for if Thibodeaux leaves in free agency after the 2026 season, and they wouldn't get it until 2028. So you could make the argument that a 2027 third rounder would be worthwhile. But if New York isn't eager to unload Thibodeaux and the Saints are looking to protect their 2027 draft picks, this one may not come together after all.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Giants rumors: ESPN says Saints may still trade for Kayvon Thibodeaux
Continue reading...
