Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants
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Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the New York Giants takes the field against the Washington Commanders at FedExField.
Before the New York Giants were able to make any splashes, their crosstown rival New York Jets broke the ice with the Jermaine Johnson deal, shipping their 2022 first-round edge rusher to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for T’Vondre Sweat.
It’s the first major trade of the 2026 NFL offseason, and it sets the table for the rest of the deals set to be discussed and finalized throughout this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
The Giants have their own former first-round edge rusher to worry about, and that’s Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The former fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and speculation has run rampant about his future in New York.
Giants Get Possible Path to Follow on Kayvon Thibodeaux
There are a lot of similarities between what the New York Jets just pulled off and what the New York Giants could follow when considering potential trades for Thibodeaux, as The Athletic’s Dan Duggan pointed out.
A former first-round pass rusher, from the same draft class, mind you, is set to enter the final year of their respective contracts on the fifth-year option.
The Jets got back a former second-round pick in Sweat, a pure nose tackle with two years remaining on his rookie deal. Gang Green cleared roughly $11 million in cap space in the trade.
Cap space is something the Giants could desperately use right now, considering they’re pushing up against the limit with only $5 million at their disposal, per Over the Cap.
A trade for a younger player on a rookie deal makes a lot of sense for the Giants, given their glaring holes on the roster.
The Chicago Bears have been named as one of the top fits for Thibodeaux’s services, and could have a young player that the Giants are looking for in their plethora of offensive linemen.
Ozzy Trapilo, a 2025 second-round pick, is unfortunately expected to miss most of the 2026 season, according to GM Ryan Poles, thanks to a patellar tendon tear in the playoffs.
Despite the injury, his age makes him a potential fit for the Giants’ young offense, and he can use the 2026 season to recover while he acclimates in New York.
It would be a similar type of deal that the Jets pulled off with Johnson, and provide the Giants with a foundational player and free up some cap space.
Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade Seems Likelier by the Day
As the NFL Scouting Combine has progressed, it’s felt more and more likely that the Giants will eventually trade Thibodeaux.
SNY’s Connor Hughes reported on teams’ interest in Indianapolis.
“From teams that I’ve talked to around the NFL Combine, believe he is available for the right price. He’s someone who needs to be paid shortly, he’s somebody who probably doesn’t factor into the Giants’ long-term plans,” said Hughes.
Connor Hughes
Kayvon Thibodeaux, per sources, is a player the #Giants are listening to offers on and the belief from teams here at the combine is that he will eventually get dealt.
I do not get the same sentiment on Dexter Lawrence. This staff loves him & wants him.
“So if John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen can get something for Thibodeaux, that can both help the Giants this year and moving forward, it certainly sounds like from the discussions I’ve had, that’s something they’re going to consider.”
It seems that a Thibodeaux trade is starting to become a matter of when, and not if, and New York should be using the Johnson deal as a blueprint on how to maximize the value from their former first-round pick.