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The New York Giants turned to the defensive side of the ball with their first pick of the 2022 NFL draft and selected Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 overall pick.
Here is a look at where the rookie will fit into his new team’s depth chart:
DE: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jihad Ward, Niko Lalos
NT: Dexter Lawrence, David Moa
DT: Leonard Williams, Raymond Johnson
OLB: Azeez Ojulari, Trent Harris, Oshane Ximines
ILB: Blake Martinez, Benardrick McKinney
ILB: Tae Crowder, Jaylon Smith
OLB: Quincy Roche, Elerson Smith, Oshane Ximines
CB: James Bradberry, Darnay Holmes
CB: Adoree’ Jackson, Aaron Robinson
FS: Julian Love, Joshua Kalu
SS: Xavier McKinney, Steven Parker
Depth chart info provided by Ourlads and Big Blue Interactive.
There was a time when Thibodeaux was the presumed No. 1 pick, especially coming into the college football season. He didn’t do much to change that when he was on the field and finished the season with 49 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games for the Ducks.
He missed some of Oregon’s biggest games, including its September clash with Ohio State and its Alamo Bowl matchup with Oklahoma, but he was still a dominant playmaker when he was on the field.
However, his status as the No. 1 pick started to fade as the draft approached.
ESPN’s Todd McShay (h/t Aron Yohannes of the Oregonian) even reported there was some concern about his “fire” in February: “I heard a lot about Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, including concerns that he just doesn’t play with the same fire as some other top prospects. His ceiling is high, but the floor is lower than what you want for a top-five pick. And based on a handful of conversations, it wouldn’t shock me if Thibodeaux fell out of the top five.”
Thibodeaux responded to the criticism:
While there may be some concerns, there is plenty to like when it comes to Thibodeaux.
B/R’s NFL Scouting Department praised his quick first step, his ability to help stop the run, how well he can drop back against the pass and his “great change of direction and explosiveness” as a pass-rusher.
Bleacher Report listed him as the No. 1 overall player in the 2022 class in the Scouting Department’s final big board.
He is someone who can step into his new team’s defensive line rotation in Week 1 and perhaps challenge for double-digit sacks if he lives up to expectations with a sky-high ceiling. His speed should help him get past offensive tackles on the edge, and he has enough power to bull rush through double teams if necessary.
Look for Thibodeaux to contend for Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Giants as he becomes a significant part of their core.
Few teams understand better how much of an impact a defensive end can make than New York considering Michael Strahan played there from 1993 through 2007 as a Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection.
While living up to Strahan’s legacy may be too much to ask for Thibodeaux, he is someone who can ideally anchor the defensive line for years to come.
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