Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux wrestling with return to form

Kayvon Thibodeaux has talked since the summer about wanting to finish better as a pass rusher. So the Giants linebacker did something different to help with that.

A few days before camp, Thibodeaux posted a video to social media of him doing Greco-Roman wrestling moves to take down an opponent. His quick strike attacks looked no different than him taking down quarterbacks or ballcarriers.

So what made him do it? Thibodeaux didn’t have much background doing it in high school when he was a five-star recruit in California or at Oregon. But he saw similarities in the two sports that could help Improve his sack total.

"Wrestling is another form of tackling, I just wanted to make sure that I can use some techniques from wrestling into football,” he said.

Thibodeaux had just 5 1/2 sacks last season. Even with missing five games due to a wrist injury, he was disappointed. When looking at last year’s tape, he estimated there were maybe five half-sacks he could’ve had if he completed the play.

That prompted him to explore wrestling and hire a coach. It took him about a month to hone in on some of the moves he learned and another month to see it translate better on the field.

“I think it’s understanding leverage and just translating your eyes, your hips, your shoulders to the attack point,” Thibodeaux said.

It’s another way he wants to remind fans of the player who had 11 1/2 sacks in 2023. In the clip he shared, Thibodeaux mentioned Ray Lewis as an inspiration.

Before Lewis became a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Ravens, he was a Florida state wrestling champion in high school. Of course, Thibodeaux isn’t shy about using Hall of Famers to meet standards. He’s talked often about trying to break Michael Strahan’s team and NFL record 22 1/2 sacks.

But the former first-round pick also needs to live up to his own standards. Outside of that 2023 season, Thibodeaux has just 9 1/2 combined sacks in his two other seasons. The Giants picked up his fifth-year option yet Thibodeaux is now another cog in a fierce pass rush with Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and rookie Abdul Carter.

Even in a year below his standards, others took notes on Thibodeaux finding his form. Fellow linebacker Brian Burns said he flipped a switch last year to play more physical and it’s carried over into the spring and summer.

“KT has impressed me about how he handles himself in the building,” Burns said. “He gets in early, he does his thing. All in all, he flipped that switch last year, so I expect big things from KT this year.”

When Thibodeaux was told about that, he said the change began in Week 2 last season. He upped his intensity and focus after speaking with outside linebacker coach Charlie Bullen. Bullen referred to a principle he called the consistency of greatness. Be great and do it again. He saw Thibodeaux winning more one-on-one matchups last season despite the low sack total. That focus carried over in the offseason where Bullen saw him gain a better understanding of his body weight at different points of the season.

As a result, he improved his nutrition and got slimmer this offseason without losing his strength. During joint practices with the Jets, Thibodeaux and Burns took turns wreaking havoc on the Jets’ offensive line.

“He’s moving better. He’s a little bit lighter than he was a year ago,” Bullen said. “Kayvon is a naturally strong guy. Anytime you have guys who are functionally strong and can set edges and rush with power, if they can gain mobility from being a little bit lighter, I’m always in favor of that.”

It’s just part of Thibodeaux trying to reclaim the promise he showed as a sack artist two years ago. If wrestling can bring that extra level out of him, he embraced the challenge to prove it in year four.

Especially when he’s eager to grapple alongside a fierce defensive front with high potential.

“We all got personal goals,” he said. “I think the more we continue to gel together and face other teams, go through these battles, trials and tribulations, we’re going to continue to grow.”

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.