Giants legend opens up about Kayvon Thibodeaux

New York Giants legend Michael Strahan expects big things from pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux moving forward. 

"He came in as a better player than me," Strahan said about Thibodeaux at a celebrity golf outing, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. "He came in with a better understanding of the game of football than I did. Obviously, because he had a lot more sacks in his rookie year than I had in mine." 

Thibodeaux missed the first two games of his rookie season due to injury and then recorded an underwhelming four sacks across the campaign. However, three of those quarterback takedowns occurred from Week 13 through Week 17. 

Strahan, meanwhile, tallied just one sack as a rookie but ultimately evolved into an eventual Hall of Famer. 

"This is a guy I know is gonna be a great player for the Giants," Strahan continued about Thibodeaux. "I know he has the worth ethic, he has the desire and as much as you say, 'He’s outgoing, he talks, he does this,' the guy really works at it, and that’s what I respect about him. It’s not like he’s just saying it and going off raw talent and ability. He’s saying it because he believes it. Because he puts in the work to make it happen." 

According to Ben Krimmel of SNY, Thibodeaux acknowledged during springtime workouts that he only truly began to "learn the ins and outs of the game" as a pro "at the end" of his debut Big Blue campaign. Strahan, who first reached out to Thibodeaux to offer advice shortly after the Giants spent overall pick No. 5 of the 2022 draft on the Oregon Ducks star, thinks the 22-year-old can make a second-year leap this fall. 

"...I think he’s one of those guys that just looks at the whole landscape and says, 'Hey, where can I learn, where can I get better, not just on the field but off the field?' I think that’s the best kind of player to have on your team," Strahan said. "I think he has a lot of value to the franchise." 

For a piece published Tuesday, Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com mentioned that Pro Football Focus ranked Thibodeaux 19th among edge defenders who played at least 600 snaps last season. That's a solid start, but both Thibodeaux and the Giants will want better production from the first-round choice later this year.