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Kayvon Thibodeaux is headed to the Big Apple.
The former Oregon Ducks superstar was selected fifth in the 2022 NFL draft by the New York Giants, setting him up to begin his career in the sports capital of the country.
Thibodeaux was mocked everywhere from No. 2 to No. 10 leading up to the draft, but most believe the Giants have a steal getting Thibodeaux at No. 5.
That includes the fine folks over at USA TODAY Sports’ Touchdown Wire, who gave the Giants an “A” grade for their selection of the Oregon star.
When evaluating players, you have to understand the difference between effort and impact. There are players who make things look easier than they should be, and there are players who aren’t always utilized in all the ways that could make them special. It’s my belief that Thibodeaux suffers from both issues. He’s such an amazing raw athlete, we wind up expecting more of him at times than he may be capable of, given his current techniques and limitations. Is Thibodeaux’s impact muted at times when it shouldn’t be? Yes, but I do not see a consistent effort problem that would drop him down my rankings. I see a player who is not a traditional edge defender, and may be capable of much more in a different structure.
Thibodeaux was the No. 1 recruit in the country when he joined the Ducks in 2019. Over the past three years, he racked up numerous accolades; including Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, the Morris Trophy as the conference’s top defensive lineman in 2020, and he was a unanimous All-American and first-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2021.
Now he gets a chance to prove his worth in the NFL — and the scrutiny of New York’s notoriously difficult media landscape should add more fuel to his fire.
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