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One month ago, before the 2025 NFL draft, New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux was identified as a top trade candidate. The Giants didn't confirm nor deny that, leading to speculation.
Then the draft came and Thibodeaux stayed put even after the Giants made Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter the third overall selection in the draft. General manager Joe Schoen announced after the section of Carter that the team was exercising Thibodeaux's fifth-year option, keeping him in blue through the 2026 season.
"I know that stuff is out there, but again, you can just throw anything at the wall right now and people go with it," Schoen said of the trade rumors. "Kayvon is going to be here. We're excited to have him. You can't have enough pass rushers.
"Between those guys coming off the edge, Dex (Dexter Lawrence) in the middle, Nacho (Rakeem Nunez-Roches), Roy Robertson-Harris, I'm excited about the D-line. We added (Jeremiah) Ledbetter, Chauncey Golston. So we're turning the corner where there's some depth at some of these positions, and that will really help us. I'm excited about the group".
So is Thibodeaux, the fifth overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft out of Oregon. He has had three very different NFL experiences in his first three seasons. His first season was a lesson on how to be a pro. He was held to 4.0 sacks in 14 games. His second season was sort of a breakout, starting all 17 games and racking up 11.5 sacks.
Last season injuries throttled Thibodeaux's plans to build on his strong sophomore effort. That, and the prospect of the Giants being in position to draft Carter, is what led to the draft speculation.
That's all water under the bridge now. Thibodeaux is welcoming Carter to the fold and is "super excited" about his presence. The more the merrier, it seems.
"I think [Carter's] a great player. We can use him in a lot of different ways," Thibodeaux said, via ESPN. "I'm excited to see him come in and grind and [see] what we're going to get."
Thibodeaux is also welcoming the challenge. His plans are just a year behind, that's all. He is still aiming high.
"It's another step. For me, it's just more fuel," he said. "Definitely blessed and humbled to be in a position to have another year in the league. Coming up on that [career] average, I think it's 3.5 [years]. You play that fourth season and I think you're in good company. I'm super blessed, super excited, energized. We have a great team and we'll go do some good things."
How defensive coordinator Shane Bowen plans to get all of his pass rushers on the field remains to be seen. Who will start? What will the rotation and formations look like? Stay tuned. Thibodeaux is looking forward to them all being on the field at the same time, a scary thought for the rest of the NFL.
"We're those tweeners. If you look at my skill set, Brian's skill set -- Brian can rush inside. I can, but Brian is probably better rushing inside than I am. But Brian can rush inside. I can rush inside. He can rush from depth. I can rush from depth being at that linebacker position. So can Abdul," he said. "We'll see how they mix it up. But we'll all be on the field at some point."
It's a good problem for the Giants to have.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux 'excited' about addition of Abdul Carter
Continue reading...
Then the draft came and Thibodeaux stayed put even after the Giants made Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter the third overall selection in the draft. General manager Joe Schoen announced after the section of Carter that the team was exercising Thibodeaux's fifth-year option, keeping him in blue through the 2026 season.
"I know that stuff is out there, but again, you can just throw anything at the wall right now and people go with it," Schoen said of the trade rumors. "Kayvon is going to be here. We're excited to have him. You can't have enough pass rushers.
"Between those guys coming off the edge, Dex (Dexter Lawrence) in the middle, Nacho (Rakeem Nunez-Roches), Roy Robertson-Harris, I'm excited about the D-line. We added (Jeremiah) Ledbetter, Chauncey Golston. So we're turning the corner where there's some depth at some of these positions, and that will really help us. I'm excited about the group".
So is Thibodeaux, the fifth overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft out of Oregon. He has had three very different NFL experiences in his first three seasons. His first season was a lesson on how to be a pro. He was held to 4.0 sacks in 14 games. His second season was sort of a breakout, starting all 17 games and racking up 11.5 sacks.
Last season injuries throttled Thibodeaux's plans to build on his strong sophomore effort. That, and the prospect of the Giants being in position to draft Carter, is what led to the draft speculation.
That's all water under the bridge now. Thibodeaux is welcoming Carter to the fold and is "super excited" about his presence. The more the merrier, it seems.
"I think [Carter's] a great player. We can use him in a lot of different ways," Thibodeaux said, via ESPN. "I'm excited to see him come in and grind and [see] what we're going to get."
Thibodeaux is also welcoming the challenge. His plans are just a year behind, that's all. He is still aiming high.
"It's another step. For me, it's just more fuel," he said. "Definitely blessed and humbled to be in a position to have another year in the league. Coming up on that [career] average, I think it's 3.5 [years]. You play that fourth season and I think you're in good company. I'm super blessed, super excited, energized. We have a great team and we'll go do some good things."
How defensive coordinator Shane Bowen plans to get all of his pass rushers on the field remains to be seen. Who will start? What will the rotation and formations look like? Stay tuned. Thibodeaux is looking forward to them all being on the field at the same time, a scary thought for the rest of the NFL.
"We're those tweeners. If you look at my skill set, Brian's skill set -- Brian can rush inside. I can, but Brian is probably better rushing inside than I am. But Brian can rush inside. I can rush inside. He can rush from depth. I can rush from depth being at that linebacker position. So can Abdul," he said. "We'll see how they mix it up. But we'll all be on the field at some point."
It's a good problem for the Giants to have.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux 'excited' about addition of Abdul Carter
Continue reading...
