Although Joe Schoen dismissed trade talks involving Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Friday report about Saints interest in the former Giants top-five pick appears to have been accurate. New Orleans did pursue Thibodeaux, only to see their effort fail before pivoting to Tyree Wilson on Saturday.
New Orleans sent Las Vegas a fifth-round pick for Wilson and a seventh, and although the team declined the incoming pass rusher’s fifth-year option, it will determine his fit alongside Chase Young beginning soon. Wilson was not the Saints’ first choice, though, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicating the team made a better offer for Thibodeaux.
The Saints offered a fourth-round pick for Thibodeaux, per Duggan, who adds the Giants held out for a second-rounder. It is unclear if this was the only offer a team made during the draft.
Considering Thibodeaux’s inconsistency, injury history and contract status, a second-round pick is probably unrealistic. But New York stuck to its guns, even after yet another top-five investment in a pass rusher (Arvell Reese). While Reese will begin his career as an off-ball linebacker in New York, the Giants will surely explore capitalizing on his hybrid skillset.
The Giants having extended Brian Burns — a 2025 second-team All-Pro — and drafted Abdul Carter third overall last year. Reese may be opening his career at ILB, but the Giants will undoubtedly deploy him as a rusher frequently. Even the franchise that popularized the NASCAR package around an edge-rushing surplus in the early 2010s may not have a good way to get Burns, Thibodeaux, Carter and Reese on the field together too often. While the Giants have held firm on Thibodeaux, trade rumors have followed the 2022 draftee for a while.
Now in a contract year, Thibodeaux is also tied to a $14.75MM full guarantee for 2026 — his fifth-year option salary. That affects his trade value. The Broncos received first- and fourth-round picks for Bradley Chubb in his 2022 fifth-year option season, while the Commanders fetched a second-round return from the Bears for Montez Sweat a year later. Both players had shown more promise than Thibodeaux on their respective rookie contracts. A few edge rushers in recent years — from Jaelan Phillips to Chase Young to Yannick Ngakoue to Dante Fowler — have brought third-round returns or a third plus a Day 3 choice. This is probably the best the Giants can hope for in a 2026 Thibodeaux trade.
I mentioned in our Giants Offseason Outlook piece that the Giants stringing this situation out until the trade deadline may be the best way to maximize Thibodeaux’s value. Of course, that is before the team chose to make another prime investment at the position via Reese. With Reese needing to see pass-rushing time, it is certainly possible the Giants do not let this trade market reach the regular season.
The Saints held No. 132 overall in Round 4; their Round 2 selection came in 42nd. The latter pick was understandably a no-go in a trade; New Orleans chose Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller with that choice. Although the Saints traded for Wilson, one year remains on his contract (he is only due $4.2MM this year). Two years remain on Young’s three-year, $51MM pact while two seasons are also left on Carl Granderson‘s four-year, $52MM extension. No guaranteed money remains on Granderson’s accord. The Saints did not draft an edge rusher this year.
An early-March report indicated the Giants would “prefer” to trade Thibodeaux; again, that came well before the team knew Reese — closely linked to the Jets at No. 2 — would be available at 5. A draft-week report suggested the Giants would accept a mid-round pick for the fifth-year rusher, but the team is not there yet. If the Giants stand pat here, we may see a fascinating redux of their oversaturated pass-rushing groups from the early ’10s — which housed Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka.
This quartet has obviously not proven to be on that level, but teams rarely feature this level of EDGE talent together, making it a must-follow position group for as long as Thibodeaux stays in the Big Apple.
Giants must be banking on a bounce back season from the kid.
Or they thought a fourth rounder was too weak of an offer. Thibs has not lived up to his selection slot but he’s a solid starter. I’d rather have him than a 4th.
I definitely don’t think he’s worth more than a fourth right now.
He’s nowhere near the level of the guys who got third round picks.
Will the Giants receive comp pick for losing him in free agency next year? If so, what round?
It depends on what kind of contract he gets and how many free agents the Giants sign.
I dont think a conditional 3rd rounder would of been too much to offer..
I think they’d have done it for a third. If looking at this from the Giants’ perspective, they might be using the potential for a compensatory pick as a measuring stick. If Thibodeaux has a promising year and leaves in free agency, New York’s best hope is a third. Anything less than that might be a nonstarter.
Realistically, outside of New York’s lens, is a fourth too low? If Thibodeaux wasn’t a former first rounder, I think most of us would be in agreement that that would constitute fair or expected compensation. A third round compensatory pick only comes with a top free agent contract, and if Thibodeaux is just okay or worse this year (or sees his snap share get eaten up by the new first rounders), he’s not likely to fetch a deal hired round compensatory type deal when he departs. Perhaps the Giants are simply planning to revisit this issue midyear. Injuries are bound to knock some pass rusher out of rotation; Thibodeaux hopefully will be ready to be traded and step in.
@Ak185. They might trade him at the deadline for a 4th. I heard this draft is supposed to be better, and teams wanted 2027 picks. Don’t see thibodeaux getting 100 million like oweh and chargers are getting a 4th back,because the canceling out.
Exactly my point.
I really don’t see him fetching a third but I think waiting until the deadline is probably their best bet at getting another offer of a fourth or higher.
Yeah, I agree with you and with Rex above. Definitely don’t see that deal, but you never know. Just wanted to outline the possibility, as I often try to do, for consideration of that scenario. I suppose that the Giants don’t agree, for whatever reason, but the only way that I see any realistic way of getting more than a fourth is if Thibodeaux plays well and they trade him to a needy team who has an injury during the year.
@notimportant. Im thinking he doesn’t but if he goes off he gets a third in comp pick, but the fact he couldn’t with Lawrence tells me thats a no. So sell him off for a 4th for half the season. Someone will accept it for a playoff push.
Keep him.
Worst case scenario he’s pass rush depth, walks in FA. Best case scenario, he’s shows the form from a few years ago and gets to the QB, he walks in FA and you get a 3rd rd comp. Giants haven’t had depth in years, there’s nothing wrong with talent coming off the bench – even if that talent didn’t live up to their draft slot.
SI SICK OF TIRED OF GENERAL MANGER JOE SCHOEN. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED LAST YEAR WITH HEAD COACH DUMPNUTS. SO ANSWER ME THIS GM-SCHOEN ARE YOU GOING TO LET LB-THIBODEAUX WALK AND GET NOTHING LIKE YOU DID WITH TB-BARKLEY. ASS-HOLE YOU SHOULD OF ACCEPTED 4TH PICK. WHAT A WASTE NO WONDER WHY THE GIANTS SUCK.
Schoen isn’t in charge of anything anymore. He’s just there, doing nothing. Harbaugh and Dawn Aponte are making all the personnel moves with Harbaugh having the final say. When Schoen’s contract expires, he’s gone because he has no role.
I also think they’re hoping for a compensatory pick for him.
He was in charge of scouting, which seems like he is ok at evaluation. That likely played into why he wasn’t let go before the draft, but yeah, tenuous at best from here forward.