Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux Draws Comparisons to Major NFL Names

Getty Newest Giant Kayvon Thibodeaux has drawn some tantalizing comparisons

Now that defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has been selected by the New York Giants in the draft, Giants fans who are seeking insight into the kind of player Thibodeaux might turn out to be are taking closer looks at his player comps. Thibodeaux has been drawing rave reviews for some time now, with some analysts likening him to major NFL defensive ends, past and present.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic was cautious but optimistic in his forecast of Thibodeaux.

“Overall, Thibodeaux isn’t a fluid mover, and his impact runs hot-and-cold, but he understands how to create leverage as a pass rusher with his length, flexibility and hand strength. He draws comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney with NFL teams and has the talent to develop into a high-end starter if he stays committed,” Brugler wrote in November.

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Clowney, 29, was picked first overall out of South Carolina in the 2014 draft. Currently a free agent, he’s been selected to three Pro Bowls and was named second-team All Pro in 2016.

Brugler initially ranked Thibodeaux as his top prospect back in November, writing “Thibodeaux has missed some time this season due to injury, but he has been near unblockable when on the field, displaying dominant traits vs. both the pass and the run.”

1 Analyst Made Monster Comparison

While Clowney has been mentioned as a possible comparison for Thibodeaux, Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network made one comparison that is sure to raise eyebrows.

“He reminds me of: DeMarcus Ware. There isn’t a perfect comparison for Thibodeaux, but I see a lot of similarities to Ware when I evaluated him coming out of Troy in 2005. They have the same long, wiry build and they both have an explosive first step…..Ware had a Hall of Fame-caliber NFL career and Thibodeaux has the potential to become a similar player. Ware became a pass-rush student and constantly added to his game, improving along the way. That will be the challenge for Thibodeaux. If he puts in the work, the sky is the limit,” Jeremiah noted.

Ware is a major comparison to present. In 12 NFL seasons, Ware was selected to nine Pro Bowls and four First-team All-Pros. He led the league in sacks twice, en route to being named a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

Thibodeaux, for his part, has admitted to watching tape of Ware, among others, while at Oregon.

“I kind of steal from everybody,” Thibodeaux said last month at the NFL scouting combine. “I’m a student of the game, so I don’t really have a favorite [pass-rusher in the NFL now], but I just love to kind of steal … a little bit of everybody and implement it in my game and start to keep growing.”

Concerns Not Enough to Pass on Him

Before the draft, reports of the Giants’ worries about Thibodeaux had emerged. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post stated “some scouts questioned Thibodeaux’s desire and that there were those in the Oregon program who believed he did not always play as hard as he needed to play.”

According to the report, the Giants worried that Thibodeaux would be more preocupied with his brand, which includes a cryptocurrency he launched back in September. Evidently, the team decided his talent and potential exceeded any flaws they envisioned.