Bengals Won’t Trade For Kayvon Thibodeaux; But They Should

Thibodeaux’s Career Thus Far

As the fifth-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the expectations were that Thibodeaux would be a game-wrecking edge rusher for the Giants, much like his current running mate, Abdul Carter. While he hasn’t been the All-Pro or even Pro Bowl level player, he’s been solid.

As a rookie out of Oregon, Thibodeaux amassed 49 total tackles with six tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, five pass breakups, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, one of which resulted in a touchdown. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. His second season was much better. He finished with 50 tackles with 12 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. While it wasn’t a Pro Bowl season, it was closer to what the Giants envisioned.

In year three, Thibodeaux had his season cut short due to injury. In 12 games, he managed 28 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He is on pace for a similar season this year. In eight games for the Giants, Thibodeaux has added 21 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, and two pass breakups.

For reference, those 2.5 sacks would rank second on the Bengals’ roster behind Trey Hendrickson.

No Pass Rush

The Bengals’ defense has been atrocious at almost every level. The only bright spots are that Hendrickson has been Hendrickson when on the field, and D.J. Turner has been playing at a Pro Bowl level. Outside of those two, the Bengals have either been non-factors or actively bad.

The loss to the Jets brought to light a lot of the issues. For example, the Jets’ offensive line was allowing a 41.7% pass rush win rate this year. The Bengals managed one pressure…and it came from a corner. The team has 11 sacks over eight games. That’s tied for the fourth-worst in the league.

The biggest issue has been missed tackles. The Bengals lead the league with 81 missed tackles on the year…21 more than the next team.

Cincinnati’s secondary hasn’t been great, nor has the linebacker corps. However, with no pass rush or penetration by the defensive line, it makes the back seven’s job that much harder. Turner has been able to step up, but players like Jordan Battle, Geno Stone, Demetrius Knight, Barrett Carter, Logan Wilson, and Cam Taylor-Britt have been on the wrong end of highlight reels all year.

Adding Thibodeaux wouldn’t be a world-shattering move, but it would give the Bengals a boost on the defensive line that they desperately need.

And That’s WITH Trey Hendrickson

There are two reasons the Bengals need to make this trade. First, Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option was picked up, keeping him under contract through 2026. The Bengals can add a solid pass rusher for the next year and a half. Secondly, and probably more importantly, Hendrickson is hurt. He tried to play through a hip injury against the Jets, but re-aggravated the injury on the second-to-last play of the first half. If/when he misses time, the Bengals’ pass rush will go from bad to legitimately the worst.

Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart were drafted as projects to develop and handed to a coaching staff that cannot develop. Combined, the two first-round picks 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits. The best part? All of those are from Murphy. Last Spring’s 17th-overall pick has accounted for just three tackles.

The team entered 2025 in win-now mode, but their pick of a project that is athletic on paper but has never produced on the field has continued to age poorly.

Honestly, with as pathetic as the pass rush has been for the Bengals, not adding anything should be seen as waving the white flag.

Who Says No?

The Bengals should see what it would take to get Thibodeaux. Whether it is picks or players, get the trade done.

Here’s a thought: Jermaine Burton.

Burton was an embattled prospect from the jump. He was incredibly athletic and had the ability to take the top off the defense. Burton led the SEC with 20.5 yards per reception in his final season at Alabama, racking up 798 yards and eight touchdowns off 39 receptions. With the Bengals, Burton has been either a healthy scratch for one reason or another or a non-factor on the field. He had an impressive preseason last year, but has yet to appear for the team this year. As a rookie, he turned four catches into 107 yards. Burton also averaged nearly 30 yards per kick return.

The Giants have three receivers on IR and currently have a starting three of Wan’Dale Robinson, Beaux Collins, and Darius Slayton. Could Burton be a fit in New York? Potentially.

It might take a pick to package with Burton to send him off, but if the Giants want to add to their pass-catching ranks by shipping off a player they don’t have in their future plans, who says no?

Whether it takes a player or just picks, the Bengals have to make the move. For reference, here are the draft picks on the defensive side of the ball since 2021, as provided by Joe Goodberry:

What good are draft picks if the Bengals just cannot draft? When was the last late-round pick that the Bengals got any kind of real production from, especially on the defensive side of the ball?

So let this be a challenge to the powers that be in Cincinnati. Prove everyone wrong. Go make a move to improve the team.