The New England Patriots trade rumor that’s dominated the offseason has been for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. Now, with that trade almost in the books, the potential is rising that they make a trade with another NFC East team, the New York Giants.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano recently put forward a mock trade where the Patriots would land Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. A former-first round pick, Thibodeaux has struggled in the NFL and could be looking for a new home.
The cost, if Graziano is to be believed, is pretty reasonable. It would only cost the Patriots a first-round pick to add Thibodeaux.
“The Patriots still need edge help, have an extra fifth-rounder from the Garrett Bradbury trade and likely won’t have a ton of valuable draft capital after the A.J. Brown deal,” Graziano wrote. “Former Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is now on Mike Vrabel’s defensive staff in New England, though things didn’t go great in New York and I don’t know whether that makes it more or less likely they’d be interested in Thibodeaux.”
Kayvon Thibodeaux was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Still just 25 years old, injuries have taken their toll, and missed time in three of his four seasons with injuries. The Giants did exercise his fifth-year option, which keeps him under contract for just one more season.
Thibodeaux flashed his potential in 2023, his only full season. He managed 11.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss that year. However, in 2025, he had a career low with just 2.5 sacks in 10 games.
The New England Patriots Still Need Help at Edge Rusher
GettyNew England Patriots edge rusher Harold Landry III
The Patriots would make sense for Kayvon Thibodeaux as a landing spot because of their clear need at the position. Even after adding to the position, it’s still a point where New England lacks the type of depth it would like to have.
As a team, the Patriots had 35 sacks in the 2025 season. That was tied for 22nd in the NFL. Compare that to the teams the Patriots were playing at the end of the playoffs, and it doesn’t hold up. The Seattle Seahawks had 12 more sacks than the Patriots. Then, the Denver Broncos managed 33 more sacks than the Patriots had for 68 total.
On top of that, the Patriots did lose K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency. That’s after he was one of the team’s best pass rushers a season ago. In his place, the Patriots added Dre’Mont Jones, but even that was a move that got recently criticized.
“Jones is a good pass rusher and a solid player, and the Pats were able to get a two-year commitment,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote. “But he’s also three years older than Chaisson and a more inconsistent run defender.”
The Patriots used their second-round pick on Gabe Jacas, who they’re expecting a lot out of in his rookie season. Still, depth in the form of a talented, if unrealized player, like Thibodeaux, probably couldn’t hurt.
The Patriots Had Success Turning K’Lavon Chaisson Around in 2025
GettyFormer New England Patriots edge rusher K’lavon Chaisson
There’s no doubt that Kayvon Thibodeaux qualifies as a reclamation project. The good news is that this coaching staff has already proven it’s more than capable of handling former first-round picks who struggled in their transition to the NFL.
Edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson was a first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2020. However, in four seasons there, he had just 5.0 sacks and 11 tackles for a loss. He was a bust, who improved a bit in 2024 with the Las Vegas Raiders before landing with the New England Patriots.
With the Patriots, Chaisson had a career-high 7.5 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss. In the process, he turned into one of the team’s best pass rushers and landed a new contract with the Washington Commanders. So, the hope is then that the Patriots could light the same spark under Thibodeaux’s career.
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