New York Giants’ 5th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Kayvon Thibodeaux, wore a red jersey for the majority of voluntary and mandatory mini-camp this spring. Thibodeaux suffered an injury during practice, which has been revealed to be a “tweaked hip,” according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
The injury isn’t expected to be anything too serious, which suggests he could make a full return for training camp which is set to begin on July 27.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have taken a more conservative approach toward injuries, trying to mitigate any aggravation.
“Look, there’s a time to be smart and there’s a time to make sure you’re pushing through things the best you can. You have to balance those,” Daboll said. “What is it, June what? June 8th. So guys that we’ve got to take a little bit off them on June 8th so they’re ready to go fully on July 26th, I think that’s being smart.
The Giants have had a lengthy injury list during camp, including Thibodeaux, Aaron Robinson, and several starters on both sides of the football. Receivers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney mainly worked on individual drills wearing red jerseys. The Giants were keen to keep them safe ahead of training camp and preseason.
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The New York Giants are excited about Thibodeaux’s impact:
Nonetheless, Thibodeaux is expected to make a significant impact during his rookie season as one of the top pass rushers in the most recent draft class. Thibodeaux displays a charismatic personality with incredible tangible traits, standing at 6’4″ and 256 pounds.
Last season, he generated 9.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss over 560 snaps with Oregon. Featuring a wide variety of pass rush moves, Thibodeaux is also a stout run defender, which will immediately provide value at the NFL level.
Of course, he has plenty to work on during his rookie season, but if properly developed, Thibodeaux could be a staple on the Giants’ defensive line for years to come.