Will Giants rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux make his NFL debut on Monday against the Cowboys?
The Giants 2022 Draft pick and No. 5 overall, Kayvon Thibodeaux, is trending towards making his NFL debut against division rivals Cowboys on Monday.
The New York Giants’ newest pass rusher and fifth overall pick in the draft this year is gearing up to make his NFL debut against the NFC East rivals Dallas Cowboys. Kayvon Thibodeaux suffered a sprained MCL in the second week of the preseason and hasn’t been able to participate in a regular season game yet.
The green light hasn’t been lit just yet, but things are looking good for Thibodeaux to play on Monday night. At Thursday’s practice, Thibodeaux was an active participant in individual drills and showed off the skills necessary to be cleared by medical staff.
“I got really involved today, so I really was able to open it up and do some things,” Thibodeaux said. “Today I had a lot of progress. So yeah, today I’m definitely confident.”
Originally told he could be back within three to four weeks, Thibodeaux is nearing that time. On Thursday, he practiced with a knee brace on. He told reporters he’d prefer not to play with the brace during the game, but is willing to do it if necessary.
The Giants are off to a 2-0 start to the season, and that is thanks in large part to the defense. They are likely to be without Leonard Williams, who is now also dealing with an MCL sprain, but if they can get full participation from their edge rusher, it would be an even bigger boost to their defense. There’s also a good chance they could add not just Thibodeaux, but also linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who has been out all season too with a calf injury.
The Giants will hold their final practice on Saturday before hosting the Cowboys on Monday night, with a hopeful Kayvon Thibodeaux ready to contribute.