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Just before he boarded a flight to take him to Las Vegas for the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Kayvon Thibodeaux accepted a FaceTime call. It was the Giants, again.
No other team during the entire process had been more attentive and interested in him. This time, it was general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll reaching out. Again.
“They were surprised I answered but I am always authentic with it,’’ Thibodeaux said Thursday night. “Had that last-minute conversation gave me the idea that they really care.’’
Oh yes, they care. The Giants did extensive work on Thibodeaux, the talented but polarizing edge rusher from Oregon. When the Giants were on the clock with the No. 5 overall pick, they saw there was only one pass rusher available they would consider taking so high, and the top three offensive tackles were all still on the board. So, the Giants knew they could wait until their pick at No. 7 to address the offensive line and selected Thibodeaux. Then they took offensive tackle Evan Neal out of Alabama at No. 7.
“We’re ecstatic with the two players we got,’’ Schoen said after making Thibodeaux the first pick in his tenure as general manager.
Neal was an expected pick for the Giants; Thibodeaux was not. The Giants were very interested in cornerback Sauce Gardner, but the Jets took him at No. 4. The Giants definitely had concerns about Thibodeaux’s outsized personality and whether or not he was more interested in building his brand than his football legacy. They worked it for weeks and weeks and came to the determination the outgoing Thibodeaux was the right fit.
“He’s a very outgoing individual, he’s got a lot of personality,’’ Schoen said. “Really good kid, likable kid, works hard. Brian and I had conversations with several of his coaches the past few days. We really got to know the kid maybe more than any player in this draft.’’
Thibodeaux said, “I spent the most time with the Giants’’ than any other team. An uber-confident 21-year-old from South Central Los Angeles is coming to New York, and he says it is a perfect match.
“Because I’m hungry, I’m really competitive and I’m hungry and I feel like New York is the pinnacle of a dog-eat-dog world,’’ Thibodeaux said.
The Giants did their homework. They had him at their team facility for a visit. Schoen and Co. traveled to Eugene for the Oregon Pro Day and shared a Korean barbecue dinner with Thibodeaux. They met with him several times on Zoom.
At this time one year ago, Thibodeaux was considered to be the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 draft. He did not have a special 2021 season, hampered by an ankle injury. He finished with seven sacks and some scouts have questioned his drive on the field.
“Felt very comfortable with him, his approach both as a young football player and a young man,’’ Daboll said.
This is a big piece to the puzzle for Wink Martindale, the new defensive coordinator, and gets the Giants back in the pass-rush business. They hope Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari, last year’s second-round pick, can form a dynamic duo on the edge. Ojulari as a rookie led the Giants with eight sacks.
Martindale presents multiple looks on defense to an opposing offense and the Giants believe Thibodeaux is versatile enough to play in several different roles.
“I’m a smart guy,’’ Thibodeaux said. “I feel like his multiple defense is really going to give me the opportunity to be versatile and kind of just show everything I bring to the team.’’
Daboll said Martindale gave him a fist pound after the selection of Thibodeaux.
This could be a boom-or-bust move for Schoen and the Giants. Thibodeaux is ready-made for the big city and it remains to be seen how he fits into an NFL locker room. He could be an annual double-digit sack guy and he does not take a backseat as a run defender, using his quickness and nose for the football to make tackles from sideline to sideline.
Already a spotlight type of guy, Thibodeaux is friendly with Michael Strahan, the former Giants legend and NFL Hall of Famer, calling Strahan a mentor.
“He’s lived and walked in my footsteps to show me the ropes on the field and off the field,’’ Thibodeaux said of Strahan, the Giants’ career sack leader.
Asked what type of person and player the Giants are getting, Thibodeaux said, “A leader, a competitor, a guy who wants to win by any means.’’
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