The New York Giants jumped at the chance to add another impact pass rusher to their roster when Ohio State’s Arvell Reese fell to them at No. 5 overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, which may also help grease the wheels on a potential edge rusher trade for the Chicago Bears heading into the second day of the action.
Rumors have been circulating for months about the Giants shopping former first-round edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux in trade talks. He was New York’s No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, but the presence of three-time Pro Bowl veteran Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, 2025’s No. 3 overall pick, had cast doubt on his long-term role for the Giants.
The selection of Reese — a versatile pass rusher cast in a similar mold as Micah Parsons — won’t make those rumors any quieter as the Giants head into Day 2 of the 2026 draft.
Fortunately for Chicago, that could present a unique opportunity to add an experienced pass rusher to Dennis Allen’s defense either during or before Round 2 on Friday.
The Bears hold two late second-round picks (Nos. 57 and 60) and their original third-round selection (No. 89) heading into the second day, but they could potentially use one of them to pluck Thibodeaux from the Giants, who will pick again at No. 37 overall but must then wait 68 selections until they make their next pick at No. 105.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the Giants are not interested in trading away Thibodeaux after selecting Reese, but that intel leak seems more like posturing for a team that has a pass-rush logjam to resolve but wants to retain all the leverage it can.
Bears Cleared About $10 Million in Cap Space Before Draft
In light of Schefter’s report, the Giants may just shut down the phone lines if any more teams come calling about Thibodeaux’s availability; although, that would seem short-sighted with four starting edge rushers on the roster and other needs to address.
From the Bears’ perspective, though, a trade for Thibodeaux is more feasible now that the team has cleared about $10 million in cap space with two contract restructures.
According to Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald, the Bears restructured the contracts of veteran tight end Cole Kmet and starting right guard Jonah Jackson prior to the first round of the 2026 draft, freeing up $10.375 million in additional cap space for 2026. They now have nearly $11 million in cap space and options to clear more, if needed.
While Thibodeaux and his $14.75 million cap hit (fifth-year option) would essentially take up whatever cap space they manage to clear, the Bears might find that his upside is worth squeezing him onto their books. He missed seven games due to injury and had a career-low 2.5 sacks for the Giants in 2025, but a move to Chicago could get him back on track to deliver similar production to his career-best year in 2023 (11.5 sacks).
Should Bears Wait Out Edge Rusher in Second Round?
Thibodeaux is an intriguing option for the Bears to consider if they want to trade for a veteran to resolve their pass-rushing issues. They did, after all, explore trading for Pro Bowl pass rusher Maxx Crosby in the spring before deciding the price tag was too rich.
It suits the Bears to wait and see how the board plays out in the second round, though.
Many of the edge rushers that analysts had mocked to the Bears at No. 25 overall in the first round are still available heading into Day 2 of the draft, including Missouri’s Zion Young, Clemson’s T.J. Parker, Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell and Illinois’ Gabe Jacas.
While it is possible an early- or mid-round run on edge rushers could leave the Bears with limited options at No. 57 overall, it would be wise for them to show patience and wait to see if one of their top guys falls to them, as Dillon Thieneman did in Round 1.
If the Bears’ first of two second-round selections is inching closer and the team is not happy about its pass-rush options, then they could pull the Thibodeaux option out of their pockets and see if the Giants can be talked into parting ways with him for more immediate draft capital. Giants coach John Harbaugh did say “everybody’s tradeable.”
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