Kayvon Thibodeaux trade idea that might make sense proposed by ESPN
February 16, 2026
Kayvon Thibodeaux trade idea that might make sense proposed by ESPN
42 comments
Would hope for more than a 4th, but makes sense to offload him to make some cap space for new signings and draft picks
I just don’t get it. We don’t need to offload KT. There are so many dead men walking on this roster rn for us to offload. I would work on an extension, and if that fails, potentially move him at the deadline.
And then he will get a Superbowl ring wherever he goes.
For a 4th? Get the hell out of here.
I don’t think he’s worth less than a 3rd round pick…the guy was legit a top 5 pick in the draft…he got picked by an inept team….had some injury bad luck, but there were glimpses of tremendous play in him….if a team is better set up for him (a team that doesn’t need him to be the start, the double teamed guy, which he was A LOT at the giants), then I think he’d shine….BUT…in order for a team to get that talent, they’d need to pay for him….I’d think something like this:
Giants get: 3rd rd pick and 6th rd pick
Other team gets: Kayvon Thibodeaux and 5th round pick
You could also argue a 2nd round pick, and maybe that would work if the giants get a 2nd and 6th pick, the other teams gets KT and a 4th rd pick…something like that.
It really would’ve helped if KT balled out in 2025…which, he really just didn’t….if he played like Burns did all season, easily could get almost a 1st straight up for him. But that didn’t happen.
For a 4th, I’d much rather hold him for depth in case of injuries and if no injuries, trade him to a needy team at the deadline.
I just don’t see his value dropping much below that and there’s a chance he plays well and increases it.
Yeah, like Valentine said a 3rd would be preferable but idk how realistic that is.
I like the idea but idk if Schoen’s pulling the trigger for a 4th.
This seems like trading him just to trade him, hopefully we can hold out for more or just keep him. Never a bad thing to bring good players back
We just saw a team win a Super Bowl anchored by a dominant defensive line.
Kayvon isn’t untouchable by any means but I’d like to see what this defensive line could do with competent coaching.
This is so stupid. There is almost no way you can get a player of his caliber in the 4th round unless you are extremely lucky. If they can’t work out a new deal then trade him before the deadline but to do it before the season seems stupid.
I don’t mind it.
KT is a fine 3rd pass rusher for us for 1 year, but…
a 4th round pick isn’t exactly zero ROI for a guy who’ll be cost controlled for 1 season, AND we’d save 14.75 mil on the cap by trading him. Zero dead money.
Anyone enamored with keeping this guy is just not watching the games for 4 years. He needs to go. Big talk no action. I hope he never plays another down for the Giants and he certainly doesn’t play the kind of football that Harbs describes as being necessary to even have a roster spot. He’s not tough, dependable, does not fly to the ball or finish plays. I’d take a 4th and pay some of the ridiculous $14M salary! Another JS master class.
He should have been traded at the deal line last year for the best offer then. They can’t change the past so they should still trade him for whatever the current best offer is.
$14.7 million is too much to pay for the team’s third best edge rusher when there are other holes to fill. Especially when trading him creates zero dead cap.
Why do people want to trade him so bad? Makes no sense
That makes zero sense. If anything I’d rather get him a deal on a down year he’s a good player he’s not top level talent but he’s proven to be a solid rotational guy. The absolute only way this madness would be justified is if we grab Bain Jr on draft day
ESPN suggesting anything means you should just walk away immediately.
Might make sense for who because trading him for a 4th doesn’t make sense to me.
STOP THIS MADNESS.
Thanks Reddit Pat Leonard
I think we could get a 3rd
I think the issue that a of fans here appear to be overlooking is that the Giants are very unlikely to pay elite money to 3 players at that position, no? So it makes sense to get something for him now while you still can.
Seem like an easy concept when you take off the fan glasses.
Amazing. When it was suggested we trade him during the season to a teams looking for edge help everyone said no. Now we want to trade him in the offseason for a 4th round pick? Never change Giants fans.
There is no way a team wouldn’t see a guy who has had 11.5 sacks, is one of the best edges against the run in the nfl, and coming off a year where the team that won, won in large part due to the depth in their front line and not offer more then a 4th.
I’d argue that’s too low, then I remember Burns got traded for a 2nd (and a hefty pay raise)
So a 3rd round comp pick would probably be best case scenario
I wouldn’t get rid of Kayvon….yet.
We finally have a great coaching staff. Let’s see what they can get out of him.
Don’t forget that every time we’ve traded or let a player go (to a superior coaching staff) it has been haunting.
Absolutely no way you take it for a 4th round pick. I think you maybe start listening if you hear 2nd round pick or early 3rd round pick.
Don’t trade him if u cant at least get a 3rd BUT if the dont trade him they BETTER resign him
Trade him for AJ Brown. Only trade that makes sense to me.
They’ll make up anything to compete in a sea of sports coverage.
2nd round minimum or im stashing KT. He’s a solid player
KT is a known quantity and a really good run defender which we actually need. wtf you getting in the 4th round? Chance of a hit there is like 10%
Mathias Kiwanuka vibes?
KT is a solid edge rusher. He’s also young 25 and threat when line-up. All that being said throw it away for a 4th that might be good? When we already have a good to above average edge rusher depth. Nah im good.
Would resign team friendly deal. 15 million a year- 3/4 years.
It would have to be a second at best. Kayvon is still a really good player who could become great with better coaching that we all expect with this new staff.
The Giants were horrendous against the run in 2025. I think the evaluation of whether or not to keep KT should be based on how good he is against the run.
You can’t start Burns and Carter on first downs in 2026. Neither one excels stopping the run. So the two of them on either end, the opposing team can do whatever they please. And the fact that our corners can’t tackle. Just run away from Lawrence. So you need a strong side DE in 2026 whether that’s KT is up to the front office.
Things change but the league was running a lot of heavy personnel in 2025 which exacerbates the problem with Burns & Carter.
I don’t recall KT stats against the run. But whether you think he is a 3 sack or 9 sack player isn’t the primary concern, he needs to make them better against the run.
So we get worse against the run for a 4th. No thanks
For a 4th, nah I’m keeping KT and building on a strength of this team.
“Might make sense” and “by ESPN” don’t typically go together. Slop take central. I’d rather keep Kayvon than get a 4th for him.
Must’ve been Tannenbaum, because this trade is awful and so is he, at anything he says really. Their defense should take off this year, they were grossly mis-managed, awfully coached. His value is gonna skyrocket by the deadline. Then that’s when you reassess.
Sweeten the deal; he was a top 5 first round pick
I’d rather trade him for something than keep him for nothing. KT is not looking for a deal that matches his lackluster production. I’d rather trade him for a top 100 pick though.
42 comments
Would hope for more than a 4th, but makes sense to offload him to make some cap space for new signings and draft picks
I just don’t get it. We don’t need to offload KT. There are so many dead men walking on this roster rn for us to offload. I would work on an extension, and if that fails, potentially move him at the deadline.
And then he will get a Superbowl ring wherever he goes.
For a 4th? Get the hell out of here.
I don’t think he’s worth less than a 3rd round pick…the guy was legit a top 5 pick in the draft…he got picked by an inept team….had some injury bad luck, but there were glimpses of tremendous play in him….if a team is better set up for him (a team that doesn’t need him to be the start, the double teamed guy, which he was A LOT at the giants), then I think he’d shine….BUT…in order for a team to get that talent, they’d need to pay for him….I’d think something like this:
Giants get: 3rd rd pick and 6th rd pick
Other team gets: Kayvon Thibodeaux and 5th round pick
You could also argue a 2nd round pick, and maybe that would work if the giants get a 2nd and 6th pick, the other teams gets KT and a 4th rd pick…something like that.
It really would’ve helped if KT balled out in 2025…which, he really just didn’t….if he played like Burns did all season, easily could get almost a 1st straight up for him. But that didn’t happen.
For a 4th, I’d much rather hold him for depth in case of injuries and if no injuries, trade him to a needy team at the deadline.
I just don’t see his value dropping much below that and there’s a chance he plays well and increases it.
Yeah, like Valentine said a 3rd would be preferable but idk how realistic that is.
I like the idea but idk if Schoen’s pulling the trigger for a 4th.
This seems like trading him just to trade him, hopefully we can hold out for more or just keep him. Never a bad thing to bring good players back
We just saw a team win a Super Bowl anchored by a dominant defensive line.
Kayvon isn’t untouchable by any means but I’d like to see what this defensive line could do with competent coaching.
This is so stupid. There is almost no way you can get a player of his caliber in the 4th round unless you are extremely lucky. If they can’t work out a new deal then trade him before the deadline but to do it before the season seems stupid.
I don’t mind it.
KT is a fine 3rd pass rusher for us for 1 year, but…
a 4th round pick isn’t exactly zero ROI for a guy who’ll be cost controlled for 1 season, AND we’d save 14.75 mil on the cap by trading him. Zero dead money.
Anyone enamored with keeping this guy is just not watching the games for 4 years. He needs to go. Big talk no action. I hope he never plays another down for the Giants and he certainly doesn’t play the kind of football that Harbs describes as being necessary to even have a roster spot. He’s not tough, dependable, does not fly to the ball or finish plays. I’d take a 4th and pay some of the ridiculous $14M salary! Another JS master class.
He should have been traded at the deal line last year for the best offer then. They can’t change the past so they should still trade him for whatever the current best offer is.
$14.7 million is too much to pay for the team’s third best edge rusher when there are other holes to fill. Especially when trading him creates zero dead cap.
Why do people want to trade him so bad? Makes no sense
That makes zero sense. If anything I’d rather get him a deal on a down year he’s a good player he’s not top level talent but he’s proven to be a solid rotational guy. The absolute only way this madness would be justified is if we grab Bain Jr on draft day
ESPN suggesting anything means you should just walk away immediately.
Might make sense for who because trading him for a 4th doesn’t make sense to me.
STOP THIS MADNESS.
Thanks Reddit Pat Leonard
I think we could get a 3rd
I think the issue that a of fans here appear to be overlooking is that the Giants are very unlikely to pay elite money to 3 players at that position, no? So it makes sense to get something for him now while you still can.
Seem like an easy concept when you take off the fan glasses.
Amazing. When it was suggested we trade him during the season to a teams looking for edge help everyone said no. Now we want to trade him in the offseason for a 4th round pick? Never change Giants fans.
There is no way a team wouldn’t see a guy who has had 11.5 sacks, is one of the best edges against the run in the nfl, and coming off a year where the team that won, won in large part due to the depth in their front line and not offer more then a 4th.
I’d argue that’s too low, then I remember Burns got traded for a 2nd (and a hefty pay raise)
So a 3rd round comp pick would probably be best case scenario
I wouldn’t get rid of Kayvon….yet.
We finally have a great coaching staff. Let’s see what they can get out of him.
Don’t forget that every time we’ve traded or let a player go (to a superior coaching staff) it has been haunting.
Absolutely no way you take it for a 4th round pick. I think you maybe start listening if you hear 2nd round pick or early 3rd round pick.
Don’t trade him if u cant at least get a 3rd BUT if the dont trade him they BETTER resign him
Trade him for AJ Brown. Only trade that makes sense to me.
They’ll make up anything to compete in a sea of sports coverage.
2nd round minimum or im stashing KT. He’s a solid player
KT is a known quantity and a really good run defender which we actually need. wtf you getting in the 4th round? Chance of a hit there is like 10%
Mathias Kiwanuka vibes?
KT is a solid edge rusher. He’s also young 25 and threat when line-up. All that being said throw it away for a 4th that might be good? When we already have a good to above average edge rusher depth. Nah im good.
Would resign team friendly deal. 15 million a year- 3/4 years.
It would have to be a second at best. Kayvon is still a really good player who could become great with better coaching that we all expect with this new staff.
The Giants were horrendous against the run in 2025. I think the evaluation of whether or not to keep KT should be based on how good he is against the run.
You can’t start Burns and Carter on first downs in 2026. Neither one excels stopping the run. So the two of them on either end, the opposing team can do whatever they please. And the fact that our corners can’t tackle. Just run away from Lawrence. So you need a strong side DE in 2026 whether that’s KT is up to the front office.
Things change but the league was running a lot of heavy personnel in 2025 which exacerbates the problem with Burns & Carter.
I don’t recall KT stats against the run. But whether you think he is a 3 sack or 9 sack player isn’t the primary concern, he needs to make them better against the run.
So we get worse against the run for a 4th. No thanks
For a 4th, nah I’m keeping KT and building on a strength of this team.
“Might make sense” and “by ESPN” don’t typically go together. Slop take central. I’d rather keep Kayvon than get a 4th for him.
Must’ve been Tannenbaum, because this trade is awful and so is he, at anything he says really. Their defense should take off this year, they were grossly mis-managed, awfully coached. His value is gonna skyrocket by the deadline. Then that’s when you reassess.
Sweeten the deal; he was a top 5 first round pick
I’d rather trade him for something than keep him for nothing. KT is not looking for a deal that matches his lackluster production. I’d rather trade him for a top 100 pick though.