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Throughout most of the past college football season, Oregon Duck fans were operating under the assumption that defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux would be one of the top picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft, if not the No. 1 overall pick.
Thibodeaux was widely regarded as the best player in college football, and his numbers spoke for themselves. As we get closer to the draft, though, and analysts start to take a closer look at the prospects, some are calling into question his ability, his drive, and his potential standing in the first round.
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One of the most noteworthy people in the profession, ESPN’s Todd McShay, discussed Thibodeaux recently while at the Senior Bowl and threw some water on the idea that KT would be a top pick in the draft. Here is the transcript of his remarks via Bleacher Report:
“I heard a lot about Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, including concerns that he just doesn’t play with the same fire as some other top prospects. His ceiling is high, but the floor is lower than what you want for a top-five pick. And based on a handful of conversations, it wouldn’t shock me if Thibodeaux fell out of the top five. Speaking of which, it was very apparent this week that the top of the draft isn’t nearly as set as it normally is at this point. Picks at the top of the first round might be a little more based on team flavor than recent years.”
The questioning of his “fire” and drive is what may come as the biggest shock to Oregon fans. Throughout Thibodeaux’s time in Eugene, he has been regarded as a hard worker on the field and in the classroom, and his work ethic has never been publicly called into question.
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Whether or not McShay’s words hold much weight is up for debate. He gets paid to delve into the tape on these players and find out more about them ahead of the draft, and he is very rarely off the mark, or one to put misinformation out there for clicks or views. On one hand, it’s tough to hear this about one of the Ducks’ best players over the years, but on the other, you might have to consider that this could be a good thing for Thibodeaux’s NFL career.
If KT does drop out of the top-5 of the draft and fall to someone like the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, or Atlanta Falcons, it could put him in a better place to succeed going forward. On top of that, it would surely put a chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career.
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