Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants news
Getty
Kayvon Thibodeaux is supposed to be playing so well that the New York Giants would be fools to trade him. He’s supposed to be the perfect complement to fellow edge-rusher Abdul Carter, but neither of those things are happening, according to the franchise great who’s called out Thibodeaux’s less than impressive performances so far during the 2026 NFL season.
Two-time Super Bowl-winner Carl Banks knows what it takes to play outside linebacker a certain way for Big Blue. It’s a way Banks believes Thibodeaux hasn’t embraced.
Banks asked Bob Papa on the Bleav In Giants podcast whether Thibodeaux’s “completely accepted that or has he completely made the adjustment to it because he’s not in the same role as as Abdul Carter, right? Then they move (him) on passing downs. They’ll move Arvell Reese out to do some of the things he used to do, but what you have to do, you’ve got to grow where you plant it, right?”
He expects more from Thibodeaux, and Banks focused his frustration on how the former fifth-overall pick isn’t doing the things he should do well. The things Giants’ defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson needs from an effective counterpoint to Carter.
Banks knows all about this complementary relationship from his own decorated career.
Kayvon Thibodeaux Urged to Channel His Inner Carl Banks
Banks was the no-frills foil for franchise icon Lawrence Taylor. LT got the sacks, while Banks secured the other side against the run, bodied tight ends and punished receivers going across the middle.
Carl Banks, Giants news
GettyBanks was never a prolific pass-rusher, but he excelled in other areas as a true outside linebacker.
As Banks put it, he would never say to coaches:
I need to do more of what Lawrence Taylor’s doing? No. I can’t go to Dennard Wilson and say, ‘I need to be doing what Abdul Carter is doing.’ No. Go dominate your area. Now you got two dominant players, right? I’m like, I know if I’m called upon to do this for my defense, I am going to do it better than anybody else in the league and you gonna know my name, right? I don’t need to do what Lawrence Taylor is doing. I’m doing what I’m doing, right? Because this is what they get. No matter what my skill set is, if I felt I could do some of those things, I’m doing this from over here. And that’s what I need to see from Kavon Thibodeaux, right? He’s a hard worker. There’s no dog, meaning the bad part of dog in him, but I need to see the good part of dawg in him. I need to see the violence.
Banks has perfectly explained the tough dynamic facing Thibodeaux. He’s never going to collect sacks in bunches, but the Giants don’t need him to when Carter’s dominating the pass-pocket.
What Wilson’s defense needs is for Thibodeaux to dominate in other areas. Those areas included phases of the game where Thibodeaux’s supposed to be effective, but his current performances are too passive.
Giants Need Every Key Member of Linebacker-Led Defense to Deliver
Thibodeaux isn’t changing games against the run, nor as a pass-rusher. He’s yet to register a sack or a tackle for loss, and has just two pressures and one quarterback knockdown to his credit, per Pro Football Reference.
Numbers as paltry as these are why Thibodeaux’s still considered a trade chip for the Giants. The problem is Big Blue’s facing a shortage of quality edge defenders after losing All-Pro Brian Burns for the rest of this season and maybe longer.
Head coach John Harbaugh also provided a worrying update about a versatile edge who’s since landed on injured reserve. The Giants need Thibodeaux, and he should be stepping up while other linebackers are taking focus away from him.
Thibodeaux’s taking next to no advantage of the attention paid to Carter. The latter “has a pass rush win%, which is a metric created by PFF looking at the percentage of ‘wins’ vs. blocking on non-penalty pass rush snaps, is 30.3%. That figure is second best of players with at least 115 pass rushes (37 players). His 13 total pressures are also tied for 9th most (of 37 players),” per SNY.tv’s Connor Hughes.
#Giants‘ Abdul Carter has a pass rush win%, which is a metric created by PFF looking at the percentage of “wins” vs. blocking on non-penalty pass rush snaps, is 30.3%.
That figure is second best of players with at least 115 pass rushes (37 players).
His 13 total pressures are
Carter’s a menace, but he’s receiving ample support from top rookie Reese. Harbaugh’s already warned the rest of the league about Reese, who resembles Banks’ fellow Giants great, Pepper Johnson, as an inside linebacker who can also rush off the edge.
Reese and Carter are making everyone along the front seven better. Everyone except Thibodeaux, who continues to leave observers demanding more.
The light may never go on for Thibodeaux if he can’t dominate in a starting role and with this much talent around him.
Enter Heavy's 2026 Pro Football Pick'em contest
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
0 Comments