Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux continues to impress Wink Martindale
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) is tackled by New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
Almost incredibly, Wink Martindale has never had a defensive player with 10 sacks in a season.
That might change. And soon.
Kayvon Thibodeaux has blossomed in his second season under Martindale, the Giants' defensive coordinator.
He has 8.5 sacks on the season after getting three against the Jets last Sunday.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Thibodeaux has seemed more comfortable and less burdened this season compared to his rookie year. And with 1.5 more sacks, he will reach his 10th. (Matt Judon had 9.5 in 2019 when he and Martindale both were with the Ravens.)
"Kayvon’s been working his tail off,” Martindale said Thursday. “We talked about pass rush a month ago and when you're developing pass rushers, it’s not just a straight arrow. Usually, it’s a roller-coaster ride in developing those guys.But with him working with [Outside Linebackers Coach] Drew [Wilkins] and consistently studying everything, you're seeing the growth of him as a pass rusher. I'm really happy for the guy.”
What is Thibodeaux doing better as a rusher?
“Everything. Everything,” Martindale said, adding the extra word for emphasis. “Everything from the classroom in there with Drew and studying the tackles, and he’s perfecting his moves and counters and things like that. He's taking advantage of situations when he gets one-on-ones.”
Some players say they don’t know their stats. Some are being truthful, some maybe not.
Thibodeaux is not one of those players. He is completely aware.
“I mean, honestly, it would be a blessing, I guess. Right now, I’m at 8.5 sacks, most sacks I’ve ever had in the NFL, so it’s like, it’s only up from here. The bar keeps continuing to move and I’m proud of that.”
A lot has been expected from Thibodeaux since he was drafted, in part because of his draft position and in part because of the Giants’ need at the position.
And it is not an accident that Michael Strahan reached out to Thibodeaux in his early days as a Giant. The two continue to connect.
Is he Strahan? There might never be another Strahan for the Giants in any of our lifetimes. He is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.
Thibodeaux, who seems to have a strong sense of self, is, and will, find his own way. And he has grown in his second year as a Giant. A big part of that is because he's basically always on the field. In the Giants' past four games, Thibodeaux has been an ironman, missing just 13 defensive snaps.
“I think there's other guys in the league that play a lot of reps,” Martindale said. “The good thing is that he's young. Do you want him to play all those reps? No, but sometimes it’s the way the game works out. Do you want to have a play where he's not out there? That’s a testament to how well he's playing. So, you say, ‘Hey, let’s rest him,’ and then go, ‘Get him back in there!’ You know what I mean?”
We do. More importantly, so does Thibodeaux.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
More Giants
