All offseason long, there have been persistent rumors about the New York Giants swinging a trade to move from 2022 first-round draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux.
It makes sense. The Giants already have a crowded stable of pass rushers, and Thibodeaux is entering the final year of his contract.
With All-Pro Brian Burns and 2025 No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter set up for starting roles, Thibodeaux will likely be seeing limited reps with New York in 2026, and it may make sense just to deal him now before they lose him in free agency.
What would be a solid offer for Thibodeaux’s services?
Giants Trade Proposal Ships Kayvon Thibodeaux For Day 2 Draft Pick
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport pitched a trade that would send Thibodeaux to the New England Patriots, netting the New York Giants a 2027 third-round draft pick.
“The New York Giants have maintained throughout the offseason that they have no intention of trading contract-year edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux—at least not for what teams have offered to date,” wrote Davenport.
“Of course, if the Giants can get a better deal than the compensatory pick the team will get when Thibodeaux all but certainly leaves in 2027 in free agency, it could be another story. The Patriots have already pushed their chips into the middle of the table with the A.J. Brown trade. For the opportunity to bolster the pass rush, New England might as well mortgage the future a little bit more.”
As Davenport points out, the Giants would be getting a solid return here for Thibodeaux’s services.
The compensatory pick formula may not even end up working out in the Giants’ favor, particularly if they have an active free agency next spring.
Not to mention, a Day 2 draft pick next year is nothing to sneeze at. The 2027 NFL Draft is expected to be one of the best in recent memory, and that third-round pick could wind up being a player who plays more than Thibodeaux would for the Giants.
How Has Kayvon Thibodeaux Handled Trade Rumors?
As previously mentioned, the New York Giants pass rusher has been dealing with chatter about a potential trade dating back to the 2025 trade deadline.
No deal has come yet, despite there being reports of a deal almost coming to fruition during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Teammate Brian Burns has lauded the former Oregon standout for how he’s handled all trade chatter throughout the offseason and how he’s grown as a player.
“I’m so proud of Thibs, dog. And I don’t want to sound all sentimental or whatever, but just the man he is and he’s becoming, like the way he handles his business, is something that’s really inspirational,” Burns told reporters.
“He’s doing everything right. He’s leaving no stones unturned, and that’s something that I really commend him on because he is put in tough situations at times, and he’s handled it like a pro.”
It remains to be seen if Thibodeaux will actually get traded this offseason, but one thing you can say for sure is that he has handled all the uncertainty incredibly well.
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