Did Giants come close to trading Kayvon Thibodeaux to Saints after drafting Arvell Reese?

Shortly after the New York Giants made Arvell Reese from Ohio State the fifth overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, Giants head coach John Harbaugh suggested that the club did not plan to trade pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.

However, it was later reported during the player-selection process that the Giants and New Orleans Saints were engaged in trade conversations regarding Thibodeaux. For an update shared on Tuesday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic addressed why Thibodeaux remains a Giants player heading into May.

What Giants allegedly wanted from Saints for Kayvon Thibodeaux

"The Saints were the team most interested in trading for Thibodeaux," Duggan wrote. "The problem was the sides weren’t close on potential compensation. The Saints’ best offer is believed to have been a fourth-round pick (No. 132), while the Giants were seeking a second-round pick — the Saints had the 42nd selection. The Saints moved on, instead sending a fifth-round pick to the Raiders for defensive end Tyree Wilson and a seventh-round pick. The seventh pick in the 2023 draft, Wilson has 12 sacks in three seasons. Wilson is due $4.2M in the final year of his rookie contract, compared to Thibodeaux, whose fifth-year option salary is $14.8M."

Thibodeaux is in a contract year and is part of a defense that now features Reese, veteran Brian Burns and 2025 first-round draft pick Abdul Carter. Thus, it seems unlikely that Thibodeaux has a long-term future with the Giants. 

However, it now sounds like Harbaugh has no interest in selling Thibodeaux for pennies on the dollar before the 2026 season gets underway. 

When could Giants revisit a potential Kayvon Thibodeaux trade?

Harbaugh is still in the early stages of restructuring the Giants' roster per his wishes. He is also attempting to improve the culture of a club that is coming off three straight losing seasons. 

In short, Thibodeaux may now be worth more to Harbaugh as an on-the-field contributor than a tradeable asset. 

"The Giants value Thibodeaux," Duggan continued, "who will have a role in a deep, versatile group of pass-rushers. If he performs well this season, he could be in line for a lucrative contract like the one earned this offseason by Washington’s Odafe Oweh (four years, $96M) as a second-tier edge-rusher. That could help land the Giants a compensatory pick in the 2028 draft. The Giants also will have the option to shop Thibodeaux at the trade deadline since there’s always a contender in the market for a pass-rusher."

If the Giants emerge as a contender for even a playoff spot this fall, they realistically could keep Thibodeaux until the final season of his existing deal comes to an end.