Giants and Chargers predicted to pull off trade involving $31 million defender originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Chargers could use more help along the edge and the New York Giants are one of the few teams that can afford to subtract from the position.

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Los Angeles’ edge rusher group has taken a hit this offseason, with the team losing Odafe Oweh to free agency.

As for the Giants, a trio of Abdul Carter, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux gives New York a strong group.

Knowing that, Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut predicts a trade between the Giants and the Chargers that would send Thibodeaux to Los Angeles for linebacker Denzel Perryman and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

For the New York Giants, this might be around the best possible return they could get for one season of Kayvon Thibodeaux. Acquiring Denzel Perryman gives New York more depth at off-ball linebacker and the front office could find a role player with the additional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This move gets Thibodeaux a much-needed change of scenery, with the Harbaugh brothers helping one another out.

It’s logical to consider Thibodeaux a trade candidate, as rumors have swirled around him this offseason.

This trade checks one or more boxes for both teams.

The Giants need more depth at linebacker, and specifically for Micah McFadden, who is coming off a significant injury. Unloading Thibodeaux, whose stock is at an all-time low, for a player who can help them and a fourth-rounder is a solid return.

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The Giants could then turn around and grab Thibodeaux’s replacement in the 2026 NFL draft, which is stocked with good edge rushers.

In Thibodeaux, the Chargers get a strong depth piece to operate behind Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu, and if Thibodeaux can return to the form we saw in 2023, he could amount to a future replacement for Mack, who is on a one-year deal.

This may not be the sexiest return for the Giants, but it might be the best they can hope for given Thibodeaux’s struggles in recent years and his contract situation.

That said, we tend to believe the Giants will hang on to the former top-five pick to see if he can rebound by the trade deadline and garner a stronger return.

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