Kayvon Thibodeaux named New York Giants' best trade asset

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The New York Giants have until May 1 to decide on Kayvon Thibodeaux's fifth-year option and early expectations are that they exercise it.

If they don't, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus believes Thibodeaux is the team's best trade asset and should be dealt at some point in 2025.

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. 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. 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.

General manager Joe Schoen has missed the boat on several trade deadline moves over the past two seasons and if Thibodeaux's fifth-year option is not picked up, he would be wise to avoid that mistake again in 2025. That's especially true considering the 2022 first-round pick would have a more robust trade market than Azeez Ojulari did last season.

In that scenario, Locker's PFF colleague, Mason Cameron, sees the Detroit Lions as a potential trade fit.

One potential name to target could be the guy who was selected three picks after Hutchinson in 2022, Kayvon Thibodeaux. The New York Giants edge rusher hasn’t made the impact many thought he would in New York, eclipsing a 70.0 single-season PFF pass-rush grade just once, but the right situation could set the record straight.

With a fifth-year option decision looming – a subsequent extension – New York has a decision to make on what path forward to take with Thibodeaux. Should the Giants decide to maximize their trade value for Thibs, now would be the time. Detroit has the structure in place to tap into the pass rusher’s potential, as well as the cap space to facilitate an extension, should the team decide to.

Since there was no trade projection, it's unclear what the Giants would get in return for Thibodeaux. However, it's safe to assume they would receive more than the fifth-round pick offered up for Ojulari in 2024.

If Schoen declines Thibodeaux's fifth-year option, a trade is the only acceptable outcome.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Kayvon Thibodeaux named Giants' best trade asset

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