NFL Draft Player Profile: Kayvon Thibodeaux
By Lyndon Suvanto
In two days’ time, the eyes of the football world will be fixated on the NFL Draft in Las Vegas.
It will be a draft full of surprises, with no clear-cut top choice for the 1st overall selection. Many experts are leaning towards edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson or Travon Walker heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first pick.
But crazier things have happened; that’s why we love sports.
It also comes as a surprise that I would reference Eleanor Roosevelt in my article for offGridNFL. But when it comes to the draft profile for Kayvon Thibodeaux, he is the true embodiment for her most famous quote.
“You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”
Thibodeaux is an undeniable talent, but one that comes riddled with red flags.
Coming into the 2021 season, Thibodeaux was by and large the consensus #1 pick.
But in recent months, he has seen his projected pick position fall a few spots. The league-wide opinion on Thibodeaux has changed due to his off-field interests.
Some executives around the league have questioned his passion for football, his pro-readiness, and the potentially distracting interest in creating his personal brand outside of the game.
The drop in draft stock might hurt him initially on career earnings but could prove beneficial in the long run if he lands in the right situation.
Where could he land?
That ideal situation might be at the fourth pick with the New York Jets.
Aside from the exposure of being a professional athlete in New York City, it’s the Jets coaching staff that should be able to help Thibodeaux reach his massive potential.
New York Head Coach Robert Saleh has made his bones developing pass rushers during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.
Not only did he help Nick Bosa reach a superstar level in his rookie year, but he also supported talents such as Arik Armstead and defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Sheldon Day to name a few.
Further to this, one other question mark for Thibodeaux were his struggles against larger college tackles since he relies more on his athleticism than his technical skills.
Fortunately, we heard the same criticism of Nick Bosa coming out of college as well. We have witnessed first-hand how that has worked out.
All in all, Thibodeaux remains the most polarizing high-end prospect in the draft. But circling back to the quote above, GMs should ask themselves two questions.
Do you want to be the guy who passed on an all-pro talent because he was working towards financial success off the field?
Or do you want to be the guy who wasted a top 5 draft pick on a guy who didn’t “love” the game?
Make no mistake, Kayvon Thibodeaux has the talent to go very far in the NFL.
Prediction: 4th overall to the New York Jets
