2022 NFL Draft: 10 players to watch in college football
By Ryan McCrary
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge Rusher, Oregon
Over the last five years, we’ve seen many elite edge rushers come out of college football, including the Bosa brothers, Myles Garrett, and Chase Young. Heading into his junior season, Kayvon Thibodeaux looks to join these players as the next great defensive end.
So far, he has had a productive collegiate career, racking up 23.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 20 games. As a true freshman in 2019, he played 13 games and picked up 14 tackles for loss and 9 sacks. He wasn’t as productive last season, but that’s understandable considering we’re dealing with a pandemic and the PAC-12 only played seven games.
Nevertheless, he has shown that he is the real deal. Thibodeaux was the number two overall player in the class of 2019, and he has definitely lived up to the hype.
Thibodeaux is 6-foot-5 and weighs 250 pounds. He has a great build for a defensive end, and he combines good size with terrific burst and mobility. Oregon’s scheme limits his ability to attack opposing tackles one-on-one, but he has the speed and intelligence to win at the point of attack consistently.
His best skill right now is probably his ability to stop the run. He is incredibly smart and does a great job disengaging from pass blockers and stopping running backs in the backfield. He doesn’t have the explosiveness that Chase Young and Jaelan Phillips possess, but he is special because he has the potential to be a high-level pass rusher and run defender. Simply put, it would be pretty shocking if Kayvon Thibodeaux isn’t the first edge rusher off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft.