Giants could cut ties with $31 million starting defender in trade with Lions

The New York Giants must make a decision on edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux's future this offseason.

As the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thibodeaux has shown promise, but the Oregon product hasn't developed into the superstar pass rusher New York thought they were going to get up to this point.

Thibodeaux will hit free agency next offseason, but A to Z Sports' Mike Payton believes the Giants could trade the young defender to the Detroit Lions this offseason.

Here is what Payton had to say about Thibodeaux and why he fits in Detroit:

"If  I were Brad Holmes, I would 100% make a deal to get Thibodeaux to Detroit for multiple reasons. The first is that the Giants are probably open to moving him since they have Brian Burns and Abdul Carter. The other big reason is that you get a year of contractual control over Thibodeaux. He’s playing on his fifth-year option worth a nice little $14 million."

"If he works out, then you’re in control of the extension, and it shouldn’t be anything market-breaking unless he has an insane 2026 season. You can likely get the deal done for a 2026 second-round pick."

Trading Thibodeaux makes a lot of sense for the Giants, as the team already has two high-quality starting edge rushers in Brian Burns and Abdul Carter. Thibodeaux is no longer a fit on New York's defense and deserves a fresh start elsewhere in a more featured role.

With Al-Quadin Muhammad set to hit free agency, the Lions may need to find a replacement for the veteran. Thibodeaux has struggled with injuries over the last two years, but in his last fully healthy season in 2023, he tallied 11.5 sacks and 43 quarterback pressures.

Pairing Aidan Hutchinson with Thibodeaux would give the Lions a young, dynamic pass-rushing duo and add some excitement to the front seven.

Additionally, Thibodeaux's trade value has diminished, and he's on the final year of his deal, so there isn't much risk in trading for him from Detroit's perspective.

Overall, if the Giants decide to move on from Thibodeaux, the Lions could be the place where he revives his career and takes Detroit's defense to another level. If that scenario transpires, he would also be setting himself up for a major payday in 2027.

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