If the New York Giants truly want to move edge rusher and former 1st-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux in a trade before the season starts, they might need to start lowering their expectations as far as what the return might be.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton called the current asking price for Thibodeaux a sticking point in any trade talks.
“Productive pass-rushers will always be in demand, but Thibodeaux has seen a significant drop-off in sacks and pressures since his standout 2023 campaign,” Moton wrote on August 20. “Furthermore, over the last two seasons, he’s missed 12 games because of injuries. Last year, Big Blue selected edge-rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick. This offseason, with the No. 5 pick, they drafted Arvell Reese, who showed the ability to rush the passer in his last year at Ohio State, logging 6.5 sacks. Even with the added pass-rushing talent on the roster, Thibodeaux will likely remain in New York past the roster cuts deadline. The Giants’ reported asking price is way too high for a player whose production has declined over the past two seasons.”
What Giants Expect in Return for Thibodeaux
The Giants’ asking price for Thibodeaux this offseason was reportedly a 2nd-round pick.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan revealed the Giants received offers for Thibodeaux, exactly what those offers were, and why they didn’t bite.
“The Giants took trade calls on Thibodeaux this offseason, but they were never looking to give him away, so they kept him when the best offer was a fourth-round pick,” Duggan wrote. “It seems likely Thibodeaux will be elsewhere next year based on the Giants’ investment in Burns and Carter. But the Steelers showed this offseason a team can pay three edge rushers when they gave third edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million extension. The Steelers are already paying TJ Watt ($41 million per year) and Alex Highsmith ($17 million per year). The Giants have some wiggle room if they want to commit to Thibodeaux, since Carter can’t be extended until after the 2027 season while Burns is signed through 2028.”
Kayvon Thibodeaux Coming Off Rough Season
Thibodeaux missed a career-high 7 games with a shoulder injury in 2025 and finished with a career low 2.5 sacks. He now finds himself firmly behind NFL All-Pro Brian Burns and 2025 No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter on the depth chart.
The Cowboys might have the key to finally unlocking Thibodeaux’s potential with a new defensive coordinator in 34-year-old former Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach Christian Parker.
Thibodeaux, 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds, was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of the University of Oregon — a year in which the Giants had 2 picks in the Top 10 and also took offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7 overall.
Through their first 4 seasons, neither Thibodeaux nor Neal has made a Pro Bowl, and both were taken ahead of 4 different 1,000-yard receivers in Drake London, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jameson Williams.
At 25 years old, Thibodeaux has exactly 1 chance to land a massive payday by how he plays in 2026. Spotrac already projects his market value in free agency to be something in the range of a 4-year, $74.6 million contract in the 2027 cycle.
Giants Asking Price Called ‘Way Too High’ for Former 1st-Round Pick