How Much Draft Capital Could Thibodeaux Earn Giants?

There may be no endeavor more fruitless than predicting NFL trades. There are too many players, too many possibilities, and so much information held out of public view.

As such, there’s little consensus for the price of players on the trade block, setting fans up to be underwhelmed when a big name gets moved for a suboptimal price.

One player who may be traded in the coming days is New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. Naturally, it’s far from a guarantee, but if he’s pushed out of the team’s long-term plans, shopping Thibodeaux and his fifth-year option is an accessible pivot.

How much does New York stand to gain from a Thibodeaux deal? A recent Fox Sports “trade bait” article suggested he could go for “multiple premium picks.” Other sides have been much less optimistic.

On SideLion Report, Thibodeaux’s trade speculation earns the Giants a Day 2 pick, going for No. 102 in the third round.

“If the Browns take Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall and Abdul Carter is picked by the Giants at No. 3 overall, Thibodeaux could be unofficially demoted to the team's third pass rusher behind Carter and Brian Burns,” Mike Luciano wrote.

“Thibodeaux, who has 21 sacks in three seasons, has been good, but not great, in the pros. Perhaps Detroit could be the spot where he figures it all out.”

New York hasn’t yet decided on Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, a decision that may very well come with a Carter selection in Round 1. Trading Thibodeaux, especially for a late Day 3 pick, shouldn’t rank high on the Giants’ priorities.

That isn’t to say Luciano’s proposal is unrealistic – again, there’s little consensus on his price. But New York isn’t in desperate need for fringe-top-100 picks like it was in years past. Thibodeaux creating a surplus of pass rushers for New York is one of the reasons why the team might be fairly competitive in 2025. If jobs really are hinging on a promising season, reinforcing the defense’s most important unit will likely make more of an impact than a prospect in a high-depth role.

There’s still plenty of time to trade Thibodeaux at the deadline if need be, which could earn a better selection if he continues to ascend and a competitor gets desperate.

The Giants can never have too many pass rushers. Giving up on that surplus for a relatively insignificant draft pick isn’t in New York’s best interest.