Giants DC Wink Martindale: Pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux 'becoming that football savant' in Year 2

Posted on : 12/15/2023
Giants DC Wink Martindale: Pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux 'becoming that football savant' in Year 2
NFL 

Amid the New York Giants’ early season struggles and the blooming Tommy DeVito hysteria, edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has quietly put up a stellar second season.

Through 13 weeks, Thibodeaux has generated 11.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 14 QB hits.

“He’s leading the defense,” defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Thursday, via the Associated Press. “I mean, he’s a vocal leader out there. Like I already said, it’s crazy, because the guy is only 22 years old. He’s becoming that football savant in the NFL where he sees things before they happen. He knows what’s coming.”

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Thibodeaux has taken advantage of one-on-one matchups created by Martindale’s blitz-heavy scheme, showing a better array of moves than he did during a solid rookie campaign.

“I study ball, and the more you study, the more you start to learn, the faster you start to learn, the faster you start to adjust and understand,” Thibodeaux said. “So yeah, things have been moving a little bit faster as far as my processing and things like that. So yeah, it’s been pretty good.”

His speed off the edge is evident, and he’s becoming better at turning pressures into sacks. For the season, he’s generated 37 QB pressures. And when Thibodeaux gets there, he usually finishes. His 33.3% sack conversion rate is tops among all players, per Next Gen Stats.  

During the Giants’ three-game win streak, Thibodeaux has generated three sacks, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and 18 total tackles.

“I’ve done great things to contribute to the team,” Thibodeaux said. “So now just continue and grow in that impact and do things like that. I’m happy things are clicking even more, and I’m getting the numbers and the stats, and hopefully we start to continue to get the wins.”

The season might not end with another playoff berth, but Thibodeaux’s continued improvement underscores that he’s one of the key building blocks in Big Blue’s future.

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