Kayvon Thibodeaux has continued to grow in the fourth year of his career; his 2025 campaign has been his best to date. The former fifth-overall pick is due for a payday from the New York Giants, and re-signing him should be a must for the G-Men.
He is critical to their defense because of his exceptional run defense and solid pass rushing abilities.
Best Run Defender On the Team
On one of the worst run defenses in the league, Thibodeaux is one of the few bright spots. Per PFF, he has the fifth-highest run defense grade among edge rushers. His length and increased power have been pivotal to his success in the run game.
In the first game he sat out in the 2025 season, Thibodeaux was sorely missed against the Green Bay Packers. In a game that Josh Jacobs missed the majority of, the Packers still managed to accrue 128 rushing yards and averaged 5.6 yards per attempt.
The run defense has been the highlight of Thibodeaux’s 2025 season, guaranteeing him a solid second contract with whoever signs him.
Above Average Pass Rusher
In his second season, Kayvon Thibodeaux had 11.5 sacks. Pass rushing was the strongest aspect of his game in college, and he built off that in the NFL. In fact, he has the most sacks for the Giants since he entered the league with 23.5.
Although his pressures have not transitioned to sacks this year, he has still wreaked havoc against the quarterback in games. According to NFLPro, Thibodeaux is 23rd in pressures this year with 33. Even though he is not living in the backfield like he was at Oregon, he is still more than serviceable going at the quarterback.
Giants Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Three Starting Edge Rushers
Something that could hold the Giants back from re-signing Thibodeaux is the already amazing edge duo of Brian Burns and Abdul Carter. There is clearly no plan of letting either of those two leave any time soon, but there is also nothing wrong with having an elite edge rotation.
The Giants’ edge rush group is exceptionally flexible, with all of them capable of rushing in different parts of the line.
Another noteworthy thought in support of this philosophy is that New York has won Super Bowls with three premier edge rushers: the group of Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora.
Three starting-caliber edge rushers have been successful for the team in the past, and they should continue to reinforce the best position group of the team.
What Would His Contract Look Like?
Spotrac.com estimates Kayvon Thibodeaux to be worth around $21 million per year, ranking him alongside players such as George Karlaftis and Greg Rousseau. If the Giants choose to wait a year to sign him, his franchise tag is estimated to be over $26 million by 2026.
Securing Thibodeaux for a cheaper and long-term deal would be the right move, rather than using a franchise tag and having him play on a “prove it” contract. Twenty-one million dollars is relatively reasonable for someone with his production, and the Giants should give their best efforts to bring him back as a franchise player.
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