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The Giants are going nowhere fast and it‘s time for the franchise to look to the future.
At 2–6 and having lost both Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo for the season, the Giants can pretty much pack the season in. They should look at what players they have that aren’t part of their long-term future and get what return they can for them now. First up would be edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
New York took Thibodeaux with the fifth pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He hasn’t lived up to the lofty hype and expectations that followed him out of Oregon, but he has become a solid pass rusher whose ceiling is still high. He had 11.5 sacks in 2023, but only managed 5.5 in 2024, and has produced just 2.5 so far this season. The 24-year-old ranks as Pro Football Focus’s 49th-best edge rusher with a grade of 68.5. He may need a change of scenery to unlock his full potential.
Thibodeaux is only under contract through next season, and when the Giants selected Abdul Carter with the third pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the writing was on the wall. With Brian Burns locked in at one edge spot, Carter is clearly the future across from him. That leaves Thibodeaux as the odd man out.
There is a strong need for pass rushers around the league, and the Giants should take advantage by looking to move Thibodeaux. What follows is a look at four teams that could use his services.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are 4–3 and firmly in the NFC playoff picture, but they clearly need more to take the next step forward under first-year coach Ben Johnson. One area where Chicago desperately needs to improve is its pass rush. The Bears rank 30th in pass rush win rate (31%), while they are 25th in sacks (14) and 20th in pressure rate (19.0%). Leading pass rusher Montez Sweat only has three sacks on the season, and he leads the team.
Thibodeaux would be a massive upgrade for Chicago and would significantly raise the ceiling of the defense. He’s a great fit, and his presence would help Sweat tremendously.
Dallas Cowboys
I’m going to shock you here, but the Cowboys’ pass rush has struggled since trading away Micah Parsons. Who could have seen that coming? After eight weeks, Dallas ranks 19th in pass rush win rate (37%), is 22nd in sacks (15), but also has the second-best pressure rate in the NFL at 30.1%. The lesson? The team’s defenders can put heat on the quarterback, but they aren’t getting home. James Houston leads the team with 3.5 sacks, but no one else has more than 1.5. Things are so desperate in Dallas that the team signed Jadeveon Clowney off the street to help.
Thibodeaux is just the kind of flashy acquisition Jerry Jones loves. He couldn't get a deal done with Parsons, could he turn around and replace the All-Pro edge rusher with Thibodeaux? The cost would be far lower, and he'd be betting on his pure talent winning out. This fit makes a lot of sense, though it would be hard for the Giants to trade Thibodeaux within the division.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have won five out of their last six games and have begun looking like the best team in the AFC again. While the offense is clicking, the defense has allowed a combined seven points in the last two weeks. There’s one place in need of an upgrade, though, and that’s the pass rush. The Chiefs rank 20th in pass rush win rate (36%), 16th in sacks (17), and 25th in pressure rate (18.6%).
George Karlaftis has had a nice season and leads the team with 4.5 sacks, but Charles Omenihu has been bad and isn’t improving. He has two sacks on the season, and Pro Football Focus ranks him as the NFL’s 105th-best edge rusher with a grade of 52.6. Mike Danna has been better with a grade of 64.3, but Kansas City could use a massive upgrade at the position. Thibodeaux would not only pair well with Karlaftis, his arrival would help open things up for Chris Jones in the middle.
San Francisco 49ers
Despite loads of injuries, the 49ers are somehow 5–3 and look like a playoff team. But with Nick Bosa out for the season with a torn ACL, the team’s pass rush has all but evaporated. San Francisco is 25th in pass rush win rate (34%), 30th in sacks (nine), and dead last in pressures (31) and pressure rate (10.5%). That’s not going to get it done. Bryce Huff has been solid and has four sacks so far, but rookie first-rounder Mykel Williams has yet to produce.
Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson would be a great fit in San Francisco, but Thibodeaux would be a cheaper option that is under contract for another season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kayvon Thibodeaux: Four Landing Spots for Giants' Edge Rusher at NFL Trade Deadline.
