Getty A Giants' breakout star is already out-performing the player taken second overall in the 2022 NFL draft.
Joe Schoen and the New York Giants hit it big in the 2022 NFL draft when the newly installed general manager made good with two first-round picks. One of those picks, the fifth player taken overall, is already a burgeoning star and a breakout candidate for next season.
Kayvon Thibodeaux made Heavy Senior NFL Reporter Matt Lombardo’s list of breakout players to watch in 2023. Lombardo expects “double-digit sacks” from Thibodeaux in Year 2 of Giants’ defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale’s system.
Martindale’s schemes can make stars of a lot of pass-rushers, but the best argument to consider Thibodeaux a star is by comparing him to another member of this year’s draft class. Thibodeaux is already out-performing Detroit Lions’ defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the second-overall pick.
Giants’ Rookie Out-Performing Draft Rival
When you’re the fifth player taken off the board, it’s hard to exceed your draft status. Yet, that’s exactly what Thibodeaux is doing when his performances are compared to those of Hutchinson.
Lombardo cited statistics from Pro Football Focus to show how Thibodeaux has exceeded Hutchinson in one key area: “Thibodeaux was the second pass-rusher off the board, following the Lions’ selection of Aidan Hutchinson No. 2 overall, and his 70.7 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus sits 4.6 points higher than Hutchinson’s.”
There are a couple of caveats to Thibodeaux grading higher than Hutchinson as a pass-rusher. The first relates to Thibodeaux playing on a more talented defensive front.
Lining up for the Giants means Thibiodeaux is surrounded by Azeez Ojulari, Pro-Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II and formidable Leonard Williams. It’s a group Dan Duggan of The Athletic refers to as a “fearsome foursome.”
A great example of how well this group can work together occurred when Lawrence sacked Taylor Heinicke during Week 15’s 20-12 win over the Washington Commanders:
HUGE Dexter Lawrence 3rd down strip sack!
Williams created a strong push inside that forced Heinicke to step up, but he couldn’t escape the pocket because of outside pressure from Ojulari. His rush from the edge left Heinicke a sitting target for Lawrence.
Duggan’s colleague, Charlotte Carroll, believes the Giants powerhouse quartet can be “building blocks” for success, the way previous star-studded defensive lines were in 2007 and ’11.
Thibodeaux has to share the glory with some imposing figures, but Hutchinson isn’t surrounded by the same supporting cast on the Lions’ 32nd-ranked defense. Nor does Hutchinson benefit from playing within Martindale’s system, a scheme Lombardo aptly described as “hyper-aggressive and blitz-oriented.”
There are more opportunities for edge-rushers to make big plays in this Giants defense. It’s why Thibodeaux still has a lot to prove in his bid to reach stardom.
Numbers Must Match Performances
It’s significant Lombardo called on Thibodeaux to “push for” double-digits in sacks during his second season. Gaudy numbers are the only thing missing from Thibodeaux’s copybook as a rookie.
It’s why he’s not yet a breakout star, even though some might think his status as such is set in stone after a highlight reel-worthy performance against the Commanders:
Kayvon Thibodeaux vs Commanders:
• 12 TOT
• 1 SACK
• 3 TFL
• 1 FF
• 1 TD
The Giants rookie edge with a MONSTER performance 🔥
The performance was the signature moment of Thibodeaux’s debut season. His display also earned praise from Super Bowl-winning pass-rushers of the Giants’ past.
Unfortunately, stats like those against the Commanders have generally been scarce. It’s why Hutchinson actually holds the upper hand when it comes to the main numbers all edge-rushers covet, per NFL Rookie Watch:
Most sacks by rookies this season:
Aidan Hutchinson 7
James Houston IV 5
Travon Walker 3.5
George Karlaftis 3.5
Kayvon Thibodeaux 3
Stats can be misleading though, and Thibodeaux is making more of an impact in the hidden areas analytics sites like PFF love. Superior pressure stats will eventually translate into more consistent disruption from Thibodeaux.
He can become a week-to-week matchup nightmare for opposing teams, while Hutchinson may have to be content with making splash plays in clusters scattered among barren displays.