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There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux lately, with some NFL analysts questioning whether or not he will be among the top-5 picks in the 2022 draft, or if he even had the “competitive fire” to be considered a top draft pick.
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While some may think that Thibodeaux could fall in the draft, others are holding true to the thought that we’ve had for most of the past year — that KT might be among the first picks off of the board. According to a new mock draft from ESPN’s Jordan Reid, Kayvon will be the No. 2 overall pick, going to the Detroit Lions.
The Lions are right on track in their rebuild, but they still have several holes to fill. In this scenario, they’d get their choice of either of the class’ top defensive ends. They could bet on the raw talent of Thibodeaux, who has more upside than the polished Aidan Hutchinson. Detroit has to strengthen its defensive line, and it has the early picks to do so.
With Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal going as the No. 1 pick in Reid’s mock, it will be either KT or Michigan’s Aiden Hutchinson off the board No. 2, and the Oregon legend is who got the nod. In this scenario, Thibodeaux would join former Ducks teammate Penei Sewell in Detroit and offer a big helping hand in the Lions’ rebuild under second-year coach Dan Campbell.
There is still a long way to go in the NFL draft process, and I’m sure that we will see more rumors and commentary about the top players. Maybe Thibodeaux will continue to have his passion for the game questioned, but in the end, it is the teams who usually know the best and show us the true value of these players.
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