17. Kayvon Thibodeaux wins Defensive Rookie of the Year
The New York Giants were one of the teams that did exceptionally well in the 2022 NFL Draft. They added Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7 overall, Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the second, and underrated tight end Daniel Bellinger from San Diego State in the fourth.
However, it was their first pick that will really make an impact. At No. 5 overall, New York ended up with Oregon pass rusher Kayvn Thibodeaux, who at one point seemed to be a lock for the No. 1 overall pick.
But as teams often do, they seemed to begin to over-think things and he not only slid to No. 5 but two pass rushers — Trevon Walker from Georgia and Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan — went ahead of him.
One of the main reasons was a question about his love for the game. Everyone knows he has the skill to be elite but there were concerns that he wouldn’t give it all he had to be great.
Thibodeaux has tried to put those rumors to bed but he still slid — and when a player going fifth overall feels like a slide, you know he has talent.
In 2022, look for that talent to be on full display — especially with a brilliant defensive coordinator such as Wink Martindale calling the plays. That combination will lead to the Oregon product earning some hardware at the end of the season as he wins the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.