Kayvon Thibodeaux discusses how he will adapt to Giants defensive system
There’s an energy to Kayvon Thibodeaux. From his on-field prowess at Oregon, to his celebration on-stage after being drafted fifth overall by the New York Giants — Thibodeaux is injecting excitement into the historic franchise.
While the off-field giddiness is wonderful to see, Thibodeaux will be judged in New York by his on-field performance. According to the former Oregon star, he’s ready to dive in and get to work.
“The only thing I can think of now is the playbook, and trying to really get into it and dive into it,” said Thibodeaux. Make sure that I know everything that I can going into training camp.”
One part of Thibodeaux’s game that has been highly-publicized is his versatility, and he’s ready to be used all over the defensive line for the Giants.
“I would love it,” responded Thibodeaux. “I feel like that’s a testament to the versatility that I’m going to have. You know, I’ll be able to continue to work on, and I’ll always be sharpening my tools. So, you know, I’ll never go dull, because coach will be moving me around. You know, I’ll know a lot of the defense.”
Finally, it’s evident the former Oregon star has immense respect for his new defensive coordinator. The Giants brought Don “Wink” Martindale over from Baltimore after losing Patrick Graham to Las Vegas, and Thibodeaux couldn’t be more impressed with the coach’s past.
“I was able to chop it up with Coach Wink [Martindale] when I was out here, and just seeing everything they did with the Ravens in their time — it was unbelievable,” explained the No. 5 overall selection. “Just being able to see the guys who did great things, and then envision myself, and all the great things that he has that I’ll be able to learn and grow.”
During his time at Oregon, Thibodeaux finished seventh in program history with 19 sacks. Seven came during his final season while playing in 11 games. He was a disruptor elsewhere in the backfield as well, totaling 123 tackles, 35.5 tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles. One of the best of the past three years, Thibodeaux is now an expected to have tremendous success with the Giants.
The Giants are used to pass rushers with huge, infectious personalities. Heck, Michael Strahan has put together a wildly-impressive television career following his playing career. If everything goes according to plan, Kayvon Thibodeaux is up next.