Kayvon Thibodeaux could help Giants land two franchise-altering players in NFL Draft

The New York Giants are days away from making one of the most important draft picks in franchise history. Possessing the third-overall pick in the 2025 Draft, New York is expected to pick between quarterback Shedeur Sanders and either edge defender Abdul Carter or two-way phenom Travis Hunter. The Cleveland Browns’ decision at pick two will decide which prospects the Giants are deciding between.

With the first round set to start Thursday evening, April 24, many experts believe Cleveland is leaning towards Travis Hunter. That means the Giants will have to pick between Sanders and Carter. Or maybe they won’t have to pick, because it’s possible New York goes after both players.

The Houston Texans pulled off something similar in the 2023 Draft, selecting quarterback CJ Stroud second overall, then trading up to draft defensive end Will Anderson with the third pick. The Texans were able to pull that off because they had the 12th-overall pick in that draft as well, allowing them to put together a worthy package to move from 12 to three.

The Giants don’t have an additional first-round pick after No. 3 in 2025, but they do have a talented young player who was drafted with a top-five pick. That player is Kayvon Thibodeaux, and NFL insider Adam Schefter recently named him as someone who could be traded during draft week.

Adam Schefter says Kayvon Thibodeaux could be traded during the draft

Every year during the draft, when teams are trying to move up, veteran players find themselves in trade packages. That’s why Schefter gave a list of 19 players “who could be deemed expendable” in his latest draft intel piece. Despite being productive with 21 sacks in 43 games in the three years since being drafted Thibodeaux was one of the names listed.

However, trading him for a first-round quarterback would make sense— especially if New York selects Abdul Carter. The Giants currently have Thibodeaux and Brian Burns, so adding Carter would be a luxury. Swapping Thibodeaux out for Carter and Shedeur Sanders would be a chess move.

Thibodeaux is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, and while New York does have the option to pick up his fifth year, he’s a couple of seasons away from leaving or becoming significantly more expensive. If the Giants believe Abdul Carter can be just as, if not more, productive, it’d make sense to replace him.

That part of the equation is easy to make sense of. The more difficult part would be finding the right team to take Thibodeaux and additional picks, so the Giants can get back in the first round. Will New York have to jump the New Orleans Saints at nine or does the team only need to worry about getting ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers at 21? Whatever the case, the Giants have a player in Kayvon Thibodeaux that makes this a path worth exploring.