The New York Giants drafted Kayvon Thibodeaux fifth overall in the NFL Draft from the University of Oregon. Thibodeaux was the highest-drafted defensive player by the Giants since they selected Cedric Jones fifth overall in 1996.
While Thibodeaux had a respectable rookie season last year, he wanted more from himself heading into his second season. Although it was a rocky season for the team, Thibodeaux was one of the bright spots on the Giants' roster this season.
Thibodeaux finished the season with 11.5 sacks, nearly tripling his sack total from his rookie season. More impressively, Thibodeaux did so while playing almost the same number of games, displaying how much more efficient Thibodeaux was this season.
His durability allowed him to significantly increase his time on the field, playing in nearly 90 percent of the team's defensive plays after playing in 65 percent of the defensive plays his rookie season.
The second-year edge rusher finished the season tied for 12th in sacks with the likes of defensive end Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions and just a few sacks behind Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys. Still, Thibodeaux has another level to get to.
As the Giants focus on their offseason plans, many defense positions have players worth building around, such as Thibodeaux. New York has a talented player or two on nearly every level of their defense. Thibodeaux and linebackers Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden give the Giants a formidable trio of linebackers.
If Thibodeaux and the rest of the Giants defense can continue playing as well as they did this season and the Giants can continue to add talent to an already talented unit, the Giants could focus their attention more heavily on the offensive side of the ball this offseason.
Thibodeaux having the quality season so early made him one of the most productive Giants first-round draft picks in at least the last decade. The Giants hope his productive season is just a small glimpse of his overall potential in the NFL, as they expect Thibodeux to develop into a dominating presence on their defense for many years to come.
The Giants' defense having talent such as Thibodeaux, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, and cornerback Deonte Banks means the Giants are a few additions away from a likely vast overall improvement.
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