When the 2021 college season came to an end, Kayvon Thibodeaux’s name was at the top of a lot of mock drafts but he wound up going a few picks later in the first round.
The Giants took Thibodeaux fifth overall and some thought the defensive end might drop even further due to questions about his work ethic. Thibodeaux pushed back at that criticism leading up to the draft and said that the Giants have nothing to worry about when it comes to him doing what’s necessary to make an impact on the field.
“Everything is about what you do,” Thibodeaux said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “I feel like, one thing with me, I can’t be a guy who blows smoke. I can’t be a guy with nothing to show for it. I can’t be a guy who people look at and don’t believe in. So for me, no matter what I say, I know I have to go put in the work.”
Thibodeaux said former Giants great Michael Strahan has advised him to “keep the main thing the main thing” and let football open the doors to other things down the road. That worked out well for Strahan and the Giants will be hoping that the football side of things unfolds as well as it did for the Hall of Famer.