Why Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux is a 2026 'Make-or-Break' Candidate

The New York Giants selected outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, with the expectation for him to become a cornerstone piece of their defense.

For multiple reasons, including injury, Thibodeaux hasn't quite lived up to his draft pedigree, posting just one season with double-digit sacks (11.5 in 2023), ironically, the one season in which he made it through all 17 games.

Although the Giants have picked up his option year—Thibodeaux is set to make over $14 million this coming season as a result—the upcoming NFL campaign is a big one for him.

NFL Media analyst Nick Shook has included the 25-year-old edge rusher as one of 11 NFL players entering a "make-or-break" season, a sentiment that is undoubtedly shared by others.

“Playing on the fifth-year option, Thibodeaux must compete for snaps with Abdul Carter, the third overall pick in last year's draft,” Shook wrote.

“Whether his future exists in New York or elsewhere, the time is now for Thibodeaux to establish a positive reputation, especially after he posted a career-low sack total (2.5) in 2025.”

Again, to be fair to Thibodeaux, he’s missed chunks of the last two seasons, appearing in just 22 games (12 in 2024 and 10 last season) while spending time on injured reserve with wrist and shoulder ailments.

As a result, he saw his defensive snap allotment drop from 87% in his second season (his best to date) to 75% in 2024 and 72% last year.

Per Pro Football Focus, Thibodeaux, in 463 defensive snaps, managed just 32 pressures, with a pass-rush grade of 58.0, putting him 93rd out of 115 qualified edge rushers.

Will Thibodeaux reach his potential as a Giant?

New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Thanks to Abdul Carter's addition to the team, there has been growing speculation that Thibodeaux could be traded. That speculation arose in the offseason when general manager Joe Schoen, speaking at the combine, told reporters that, “Right now (emphasis added), Kayvon's going to be with us."

The question, though, is how new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will get Thibodeaux on the field alongside Brian Burns, Carter, and Arvell Reese? One possibility could be to bring Thibodeaux inside as a stand-up pass rusher, where his quickness should give him an advantage.

A productive season for Thibodeaux would be a win-win for everyone. He can strengthen his case for a new lucrative contract, be it with the Giants or elsewhere, while the Giants, if they were so inclined to do so, could find a better market for him that’s willing to meet what is believed to be a Day 2 draft pick asking price.

And if the Giants do decide to hang onto Thibodeaux, and he ends up tearing things up, even better for them, as it gives head coach John Harbaugh yet another productive difference maker in his first season with Big Blue.

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