750 The Game 750 The Game Logo

Kayvon Thibodeaux goes No. 5 overall to the New York Giants

April 29, 2022 10:09AM PDT
Share
Kayvon Thibodeaux goes No. 5 overall to the New York Giants
Oregon Ducks star Kayvon Thibodeaux is drafted No. 5 overall by the New York Giants (AP Images)

The drama surrounding Kayvon Thibodeaux and his draft stock has come to an end.

The New York Giants, armed with the No. 5 and No. 7 overall selections in the first round of the NFL Draft, used the first of those picks on the Oregon Ducks edge rusher.

Thibodeaux is headed to Big Blue.

Thibodeaux becomes the third Ducks alum in a row to be taken in the first round of the draft, joining Justin Herbert in 2020 (No. 6 to the Chargers) and Penei Sewell in 2021 (No. 7 to the Lions).

Thibodeaux reunites with former Duck Shane Lemieux, who is a guard on the Giants offensive line since New York drafted him in the fifth round in the 2020 Draft.

Legendary pass rusher Michael Strahan figures to help mentor and develop Thibodeaux in New  York.  Strahan is sixth all-time in sacks in league history with 141-1/2 sacks in his fifteen professional seasons, all spent with the Giants.

More from the press release sent from Oregon Football:

LAS VEGAS — Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was selected by the New York Giants with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, giving the Oregon football program a top-10 selection for the third year in a row.

 

Oregon is one of three schools to have a top-10 pick in each of the last three NFL Drafts, along with Alabama and LSU.

 

Thibodeaux is Oregon’s first top-five selection since Marcus Mariota went No. 2 overall in 2015, and he joins Dion Jordan (No. 3, 2013) as the only UO defensive players to be taken in the top five. Overall, Thibodeaux is the seventh top-five pick in program history.

 

The fourth Duck ever to be named a unanimous all-American, Thibodeaux is Oregon’s 10th all-time top-10 pick and 20th first-round selection. He is the seventh top-10 draftee since 2000 and sixth since 2013, and he becomes the eighth defensive player to be selected in the first round.

 

A Los Angeles native, Thibodeaux becomes the ninth Duck to be drafted by the Giants. He will join former UO offensive lineman Shane Lemieux on New York’s roster.

 

“I knew, I manifested it,” Thibodeaux said after the selection. “We had great talks. They FaceTimed me on the plane and they were excited to talk to me, and I knew it was time.

 

“It was just a blessing … Just to be a part of a family – an organization like this – it’s ridiculous.”

 

Thibodeaux enjoyed a dominant three-year career with the Ducks, tying for seventh in program history with 19.0 career sacks in 31 games. He made 34.5 career tackles for loss, and he is the first Oregon player ever to lead the team in both sacks and TFLs in three straight seasons.

 

A finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2021, Thibodeaux became the first UO defensive player ever to earn unanimous all-America status while also receiving first-team all-Pac-12 honors for the second year in a row. Thibodeaux led Oregon with seven sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss in his final season despite missing multiple games due to injury.

 

One of the highest-regarded recruits in program history, Thibodeaux burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019 and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He set a program freshman record with nine sacks, and dominated in the conference title game with a Pac-12 Championship Game record 2.5 sacks and a blocked punt.

 

Thibodeaux will join a Giants organization that went 4-13 in 2021 and is entering its first season under new head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.

 

Oregon All-Time First Round Picks
2022 – DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, No. 5 (New York Giants)

2021 – OT Penei Sewell, No. 7 (Detroit Lions)
2020 – QB Justin Herbert, No. 6 (Los Angeles Chargers)
2016 – DE DeForest Buckner, No. 7 (San Francisco 49ers)
2015 – QB Marcus Mariota, No. 2 (Tennessee Titans)
2015 – DT Arik Armstead, No. 15 (San Francisco 49ers)
2013 – OLB Dion Jordan, No. 3 (Miami Dolphins)
2013 – OG Kyle Long, No. 20 (Chicago Bears)
2008 – RB Jonathan Stewart, No. 13 (Carolina Panthers)
2006 – DT Haloti Ngata, No. 12 (Baltimore Ravens)
2002 – QB Joey Harrington, No. 3 (Detroit Lions)
1999 – QB Akili Smith, No. 3 (Cincinnati Bengals)
1996 – DB Alex Molden, No. 11 (New Orleans Saints)
1987 – QB Chris Miller, No. 13 (Atlanta Falcons)
1976 – DB Mario Clark, No. 18 (Buffalo Bills)
1975 – TE Russ Francis, No. 16 (New England Patriots)
1972 – WR Ahmad Rashad, No. 4 (St. Louis Cardinals)
1972 – OT Tim Drougas, No. 22 (Baltimore Colts)
1968 – DB Jim Smith, No. 12 (Washington)
1955 – QB George Shaw, No. 1 (Baltimore Colts)

Newsletter

More News