Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) reacts after winning a wild card game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
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(East Rutherford, NJ) – Kayvon Thibodeaux is still a brand new NFL player in the grand scheme of things. He’s just 22 years old, and only 16 games into his career.
Hardly enough time to develop a definitive sense of what he is as a player. But that hasn’t stopped impatient Giants fans from openly wondering if their second-year edge rusher is a “bust”.
This week, Thibodeaux fired back at some of those critics – referring to some fans as “social media GMs” – and saying his priority is helping the team win, not stats. Still, it’s noticeable that Thibodeaux has zero sacks through this year’s first two games, and zero tackles. And Pro Football Focus puts Thibodeaux’s pass rush win rate at just 2.6% – for reference, the highest number in that category for 2022 was Myles Garrett at 93.5%.
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So there’s some blame that can be fairly applied to Thibodeaux, despite his protestations that he’s unwilling to listen to unhappy fans. But there’s also the reality that Wink Martindale’s defense doesn’t tend to make stars out of edge rushers. That’s proven true for guys like Matthew Judon, as referenced by Big Blue View on SB Nation. Judon posted single-digit sack totals under Martindale in Baltimore, topping out at 9 one year.
In two seasons with the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick, Judon has recorded sack totals of 13.5 and 12.5. Scouts say Thibodeaux is best thought of as a physical grinder who wears down the lineman in front of him, as opposed to be a speed rusher who’s able to quickly get up field and make his way to the QB.
Yet under Martindale’s defense, Thibodeaux is asked to play a multifaceted role, rather than just putting his hand in the dirt and “getting after it.” He’s often seen dropping into coverage, forcibly stringing a play out wide to keep contain, and carrying out similar assignments within the structure of the defense – Martindale has referred to Thibodeaux as a “can opener.”
So it’s true that the former first round pick has to step up his level of play, and that’s largely because the indication and expectation from scouts is that he can. Plus, it could mean the difference between the Giants defense being a continued liability – or potentially solidifying as the year progresses.
