Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said this summer that he’d spoken to edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux “to be at the top of everything” as he prepared for his second NFL season and it’s safe to say that Martindale has been pleased with how Thibodeaux has reacted to that conversation.
Thibodeaux said at the time that he liked hearing what Martindale had to say because the coach told him he can “take the league by storm.” Thibodeaux has 44 tackles, 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery this season, so he’s making Martindale’s prediction come true.
On Thursday, Martindale said that was a credit to how hard Thibodeaux has worked to become a player who can see what offenses want to do before plays are even underway.
“I said that the guy has no ceiling. You remember me saying that before,” Martindale said. “The reason why he doesn’t have a ceiling is because he doesn’t allow himself to have a ceiling. He’s in here working every day. . . . 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. 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. That’s a testament to, like I said, he and [outside linebackers coach] Drew Wilkins, and how hard they study the game. It’s fun to watch.”
Thibodeaux has three sacks and two forced fumbles during the Giants’ current three-game winning streak and staying hot through the end of the season will leave the Giants feeling good about what the future holds for the 2022 first-round pick.
