6 Landing Spots for Giants Kayvon Thobodeaux

April 09, 2026 , , , ,
New York Giants pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux reacts during 2025 game.

John Harbaugh's start to his tenure as New York Giants head coach was supposed to be about installing a new culture and getting the offseason program started. 

Instead, Dexter Lawrence requested a trade over his contract situation, which dominated the headlines, but Harbaugh's comments about Kayvon Thibodeaux were almost equally telling. 

When asked directly about whether Thibodeaux could be moved, Harbaugh said he loved the player, called him a great player, was fired up to see him, and then added "everybody's tradeable, everybody." 

That's a carefully constructed non-answer that does not rule anything out, and according to Ian O'Connor of The Athletic, it's what's actually happening inside the building. 

If the Giants receive an offer in the range of a late second-round or early third-round pick, O'Connor reported, they would be "compelled to make a deal."

Why Thibodeaux Makes Sense to Move Right Now

The Giants took Thibodeaux fifth overall in 2022 with the expectation that he'd anchor their pass rush for a decade. 

That plan changed pretty quickly. They traded for Brian Burns and gave him a five-year, $141 million deal, and then used the third overall pick in 2025 on Abdul Carter, who is going to be very good for a long time. 

Between Burns and Carter, Thibodeaux is the third option in his own team's pass rush rotation, entering a contract year at 25 years old with just eight sacks over the last two seasons and 22 games missed due to injury. 

There is nothing about that combination of factors that screams "extend this guy." Trading him now gets draft value back instead of watching him walk in free agency next spring for a compensatory pick. 

Thibodeaux flashed the talent that made him a top-five pick in 2023 with 11.5 sacks, and whoever acquires him on a one-year rental has a chance at getting that version of the player if he's properly motivated and deployed.

Where Thibodeaux Lands and Why

San Francisco was last in the NFL with 20 sacks last season, largely because Nick Bosa missed most of the year, and even with Bosa expected back they could use legitimate insurance. 

Thibodeaux as a complementary piece to Bosa in Kyle Shanahan's defense is an interesting thought. The Baltimore Ravens are another team worth watching given their desire for more pass rush help after the Maxx Crosby trade fell through and their defensive coordinator Jesse Minter just departed for Los Angeles. 

Kansas City needs depth after losing several pieces off their defense, and the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and Jacksonville Jaguars all fit the profile of teams that could use a contract-year edge rusher with upside and are capable of offering picks in the right range. 

The Giants aren't shopping Thibodeaux aggressively, but they have no particular reason to hold him either. 

A late Day 2 pick for a player who might leave for nothing is a no-brainer if the offer materializes before the draft on April 23.

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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