Kayvon Thibodeaux wants to be a star — how far is he from getting there?

As part of their 100th season commemoration, the New York Giants are counting down the top 100 players in franchise history. Kayvon Thibodeaux, third-year edge defender on the current team, has made no secret of his desire to one day be thought of as one of those legendary Giants.

“We’re in a life that we only really get once. You talk about living it to the fullest. When you have people who have lived it and who have walked it, it would be kind of a disservice to myself to not strive to be better than the standards they set,” Thibodeaux said during the spring. “I have an opportunity that people would wish they could be in. It’s only right if I give the people what they want. I honor myself by putting everything on the line, trying to be the best.”

Thibodeaux has been honest that he would like to break the single-season sack record of 22.5, shared by former Giants great Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.

“Every year I’m here, I’m going for Michael Strahan’s record,” he said.

Can Thibodeaux reach that level of greatness?

Let’s discuss Thibodeaux as we continue player-by-player profiles of the Giants’ 90-man roster.

The skinny

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 258
Opening day age: 23
Position: Edge defender
Experience: 2
Contract: Year 3 of four-year, $31,339,040 rookie deal | 2024 cap hit: $8,547,011 | Guaranteed at signing: $31,339,040 | Guaranteed in 2024: $3,554,004

Career to date

Thibodeaux has been good, but not close to great, in his two seasons with the Giants. After a four-sack rookie year, he posted 11.5 sacks a season ago.

Thibodeaux knows there is more work to be done. And not just because Lawrence Taylor told him so.

“You think when you’re a rookie you have this long career, right? You look at a guy lie I take Aaron Donald, he just retired, went to 10 Pro Bowls. I’m already two years down, not been to one. Not saying that Pro Bowl is my end-all, be-all. Just talking about understanding that every day is the last day, right? You talk about trying to maximize all the time that I have and all of the ability that I have today,” Thibodeaux said this spring.

“Last year I was able to get 11 and a half sacks. Those are the accolades. Now it’s about getting that respect throughout the league, having teams fear coming to play against us. Just taking everything I do to the next level as far as that extra. Greatness is optional. I just got to kind of take that next step.”

2024 outlook

To get where he wants to go, Thibodeaux is going to have to improve his down-to-down performance.

In 2023, Thibodeaux’s pass rush win percentage of 6.4 was just 53rd of 55 edge defenders graded by Pro Football Focus. In 2022, his 9.7% win rate was 39th among 57 qualifying edge defender. That means he has not been winning nearly enough of pass rush reps.

The Giants hope the presence of Brian Burns, acquired via trade from the Carolina Panthers, helps Thibodeaux.

“We’re going to try to have a party at the quarterback,” Thibodeaux said of him and Burns.

The change to Shane Bowen as defensive coordinator should be beneficial to Thibodeaux. Wink Martindale often used Thibodeaux in pass coverage to set up opportunities for others. Bowen will use him in a more straightforward, attacking manner.

“I think it’s great that I don’t have to think,” Thibodeaux said. “I’m a smart guy, I always do lean to my wits. When you talk about being able to play, defense is about players, offense is about plays. When you look at that in the sense of having guys who are talented and able to put them in a position to hone in on their technique and things like that, it will be good for the whole defense.”

A big step forward for Thibodeaux would likely help the Giants’ defense take a similar step. Giants’ defenses have long been built around premier pass rushers. Is Thibodeaux the next one?