The New York Giants have a big decision to make in early May, regarding former first-round edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. The outside linebacker is up for his fifth-year option as he enters the fourth season of his $31-plus million rookie deal — but there is another potential route NYG could go.
“The Giants are in a strange place from a roster construction standpoint in that they either have untouchable young players or players who seemingly wouldn’t attract much interest,” Pro Football Focus analyst Bradley Locker wrote while discussing each team’s “best trade asset” on March 20. “The one player who might fit into an alternate category is Thibodeaux.”
“The former fifth-overall pick displayed encouraging signs last season with a 72.0 PFF pass-rushing grade, but he saw time on only 593 snaps,” the analyst continued. Acknowledging: “Reports have indicated that Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option will be picked up, which would probably nix a trade, but it’s possible that general manager Joe Schoen could deal Thibodeaux, not worry about the option and draft someone instead — such as Penn State’s Abdul Carter at third overall.”
Giants Drafting Abdul Carter Could Seal Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Fate
Locker really hit the nail on the head with his final point. There is only one scenario where the Giants trade Thibodeaux, realistically, and that’s if Carter falls to them at No. 3 overall.
Some believe Carter is the most talented prospect in the entire draft, so NYG general manager Joe Schoen would have to at least consider selecting him if he’s there — especially if quarterback Cam Ward and cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter are not.
In this scenario, it would make sense to try and trade Thibodeaux for more draft capital, potentially mid-draft in 2025 or for an extra pick in 2026 if that offers the better return.
This would all occur before the Giants decide on Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, giving his new team the choice to either pick it up or not.
Giants Have Lots of Money Tied up at Edge Rusher Between Brian Burns & Kayvon Thibodeaux
The other important part of this conversation is Brian Burns. With Thibodeaux failing to live up to his draft status early on, the Giants traded for and extended Burns.
That decision tied up a lot of money at one position, with Thibodeaux carrying a cap hit of approximately $9.97 million in 2025 and Burns at $29.75 million.
If the Giants were to pick up Thibodeaux’s option, he’d make exactly $14.751 million in 2026 — as a linebacker that has achieved playtime criteria but failed to make the Pro Bowl, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero and Over the Cap.
Remember, “upon being exercised, the fifth-year option is fully guaranteed, and any base salary in the player’s fourth year that was not fully guaranteed will become so,” per Over the Cap. Burn’s cap hit also rises to $30.75 million in 2026.
Needless to say, adding another top three rookie salary to this group would not make a whole lot of sense. Carter would also create a logjam at the position, assuming everyone is healthy, and that’s before you even take into account versatile newcomers Chauncey Gholston and Victor Dimukeje.
Dumping all your spending money into one position is not a smart way to allocate resources in a cap-driven league like the NFL, further supporting the likelihood that a Carter selection could force a Thibodeaux trade.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Giants’ $31 Million Former Draft Pick Called ‘Best Trade Asset’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.