The New York Giants have some tough decisions to make this offseason regarding personnel.
Two of those decisions are whether or not to exercise the fifth-year option on the contracts of 2022 first-round draft picks outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive tackle Evan Neal.
The Giants are likely to take a pass on Neal, who has been a disappointment thus far, but are expected to pick up Thibodeaux’s option.
From Dan Duggan of The Athletic:
Thibodeaux’s career has been an interesting journey. He registered only four sacks as a rookie, but advanced metrics suggested he was a more disruptive pass rusher than the sack total indicated. He then piled up 11.5 sacks in his second season, but advanced metrics indicated that sack total was inflated. He had 5.5 sacks in 12 games this season, and again advanced metrics (he was 16th in pass rush win rate) were more favorable.
Regardless of the numbers, Thibodeaux hasn’t made the impact that was expected when he was the fifth pick in the 2022 draft. The Giants will need to decide on Thibodeaux’s $16.1 million for 2026 this offseason. That’s a tricky decision, but expect this regime to pick up the option on its first draft pick.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen has plenty on his plate and no one is sure what he’s thinking when it comes to Thibodeaux. The Giants have approximately $50 million in available cap space this year and we know that pass rush is a top priority in the organization.
Passing up the fifth-year option just makes Thibodeaux a potential free agent come next March. He would still be a Giant for the 2024 season a still have a chance to to change their minds about him.
