New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is enjoying a breakout season in his sophomore campaign, and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is loving what he is seeing.
When asked about Thibodeaux this week, Martindale raved about his young pass rusher.
“I said that the guy has no ceiling. You remember me saying that before,” Martindale said, via the Giants’ official team website. “The reason why he doesn’t have a ceiling is because he doesn’t allow himself to have a ceiling. He’s in here working every day.”
Thibodeaux, who played his collegiate football at the University of Oregon, was selected by New York with the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He played in 14 games during his rookie campaign and showed some promise, logging 49 tackles, four sacks, a couple of forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries, five passes defended and a defensive touchdown.
This year, Thibodeaux has exploded, racking up 44 tackles, 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery through 13 contests.
“To me, he’s a finisher at the football, whether it’s a sack, a strip sack, or the play you saw on Monday night when we had [Packers quarterback Jordan] Love held up and he dug the ball out,” Martindale said. “He’s leading the defense. I mean, he’s a vocal leader out there. Like I already said, it’s crazy, because the guy is only 22 years old. He’s becoming that football savant in the NFL where he sees things before they happen. He knows what’s coming. That’s a testament to, like I said, he and [outside linebackers coach] Drew Wilkins, and how hard they study the game. It’s fun to watch.”
Kayvon Thibodeaux has been the Giants’ only truly consistent pass rusher this season, as New York has totaled just 23 sacks as a team in 2023.
He has been critical in Big Blue’s current three-game winning streak, posting three sacks throughout this recent stretch.
The Giants are 5-8 and will take on the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Somehow, they have worked themselves back into the NFC playoff picture, although they remain a long shot to make the postseason.
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