The Detroit Lions have one superstar edge-rusher already and are a logical landing spot for another, but the team can split the difference and upgrade the position for something less than a blockbuster deal.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN mentioned Detroit as perhaps the biggest loser after the Cleveland Browns sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in return for Jared Verse and three draft picks (1st, 2nd and 3rd) on June 1.
“Because they haven’t had that second great edge-rusher next to Aidan Hutchinson, or replacing [him] when he’s been injured, it’s really cost them,” Barnwell said.
He added that the Lions still make sense as a trade destination for defensive end Maxx Crosby if/when the Las Vegas Raiders put him back on the market. Crosby is back in the desert after a botched attempt to move him to the Baltimore Ravens, but there is no question he will cost at least a first-round pick, and then some.
However, a player like outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants should be considerably less expensive, and potentially more immediately available, than Crosby.
Giants Have Multiple Incentives to Trade Kayvon Thibodeaux
GettyPass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants.
Aaron Schatz of ESPN on Thursday, June 18 dubbed a deal moving Thibodeaux as the last offseason move New York must make before the regular season begins in September.
The Giants plan to play rookie Arvell Reese as the weak-side linebacker, but they certainly could move him down to an edge position some of the time. Along with Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, that gives them a lot of flexibility at the position.
Thibodeaux is now in the final year of his contract, and the Giants could get some draft capital for him now instead of waiting. If they keep Thibodeaux this season, they also then need to stay out of next year’s free agent market to make sure they could get a compensatory pick when Thibodeaux inevitably leaves.
Lions Would Likely Have to Send Giants 3rd-Round Draft Pick in Trade for Kayvon Thibodeaux
GettyNew York Giants pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Given Thibodeaux’s age, 25, and his status as a former first-round pick who has produced a double-digit sack season in the recent past, the Lions would likely have to sacrifice something in the neighborhood of a third-round pick to acquire him — assuming New York makes the edge defender available.
Detroit could perhaps move a conditional third-rounder to New York, which reverts to a fourth-round selection if Thibodeaux suffers another injury concern during the upcoming campaign, the likes of which have plagued him to a meaningful degree across his first four seasons in the league.
The Giants pass-rusher has a total of 23.5 sacks to his name over 53 total starts, with 11.5 sacks in 2023. That is the only season Thibodeaux has been healthy enough to play in all 17 games.
He finished out his $31 million rookie contract in 2025, though the Giants had previously exercised their fifth-year option on that deal, which pays Thibodeaux $14.75 million total in 2026.
Lions Strong Trade Candidates for $31 Million Pass-Rusher Out of NFC East