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NY Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NY Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux Lands on NFL.com's Enigma List

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Alex House | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 6:30 PM ET

If the NY Giants are going to shock the NFL world next season, they will need pillars like Dexter Lawrence II, Brian Burns, Malik Nabers, Andrew Thomas, and even rookie Abdul Carter to produce at a consistently high level.

However, multiple wild cards must step up. On the defensive side of the ball, none are arguably more important than outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, who, if he performs at a level his talent suggests he can, will make the Giants defense a nightmare to face.

The issue with Thibodeaux is that while he is undeniably gifted, he has not fulfilled his potential. As a result, the former Oregon star landed on NFL.com's Bucky Brooks’ list of seven enigmas ahead of the 2025 campaign.

“As the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thibodeaux was expected to take the league by storm as an explosive pass-rushing threat off the edge,” Brooks wrote.

“Though the fourth-year pro has amassed 21 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 46 quarterback hits in 43 career games, the polarizing defender has not blossomed into the game changer some envisioned when the Giants added him to a front that desperately needed an impact player on the edge.”

Even though the Giants have already picked up the pass-rusher fifth-year option, it seems fair to say that he is preparing for a pivotal season. As Brooks also noted, given the loaded defensive pass rush, Thibodeaux is likely to see a lot of 1-on-1 matchups, which he will need to win if he’s to fulfill his potential.

A strong showing that results in a sack total closer to the career-high 11.5 that he accumulated in 2023 could ensure that he remains with Big Blue for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, the talent around Thibodeaux could enable him to impose his will in the trenches from time to time.

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What about the Abdul Carter effect?

Thibodeaux has recorded double-digit sacks in a single campaign just once in his first three years and has never finished a season with an overall defensive grade higher than 72, per Pro Football Focus.

Although he is adequate against the run, the majority of his value comes from his pass-rushing ability. If Thibodeaux is inconsistent in that department, which has certainly been the case, he becomes harder to trust.

That’s where rookie Abdul Carter could enter the picture. If the rookie sensation outshines Thibodeaux at training camp this summer, he will presumably start on the edge and get the bulk of the snaps when the Giants run their base defense.

However, the good news is that perhaps this added competition is just the motivation Thibodeaux needs to become a legitimate difference-maker next season. Even if he is merely a solid contributor on the defensive line, the Giants might be content, though whether they look to extend him to a mega deal anytime soon remains to be seen.

What is known at the moment is that Thibodeau is not the game-wrecker many thought he’d be when he was drafted, but he stands out as a scintillating complimentary edge-rusher.

This season will ideally give us a concrete answer about the former All-American's NFL ceiling. No matter the outcome, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen should be able to make good use of his talents when he is on the field.

And if Thibodeaux does level up, then Big Blue is going to feast in the trenches.