New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux had a clear vision of how he wanted to approach his second NFL season.
Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, focused on those plays he missed as a rookie, seeking to better use his strength and awareness to clean up the missed opportunities and be more of a problem solver on defense.
So far, so good. Thibodeaux, formerly of Oregon, is having a breakout second season. He currently leads the Giants in sacks with 11.5.
He is the first Giants defender to record double-digits in that statistical category since former defensive lineman Leonard Williams finished with that total in 2020.
“To me, he’s a finisher at the football, whether it’s a sack, a strip sack, or the play you saw on Monday night when we had (Packers quarterback Jordan) Love held up, and he dug the ball out. He’s leading the defense. I mean, he’s a vocal leader out there.
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.”
“I think when you talk about motivation, most things that people write on social media aren’t really motivation.
Most of these stories and things like that aren’t motivation; they’re just stories to create,” he said.
“I’m not playing good ball because people wrote negative things about me.
I’m not playing good ball because I’m trying to prove everybody wrong. This is what I do for a living. I’m happy to do it.
I’m proud to do it. I think that’s why I’m playing well: I take pride in what I do and put the work in.”
