Giants Urged to Make Outlandish Trade with Division Rival Involving Outside Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux
In the NFC East division, the four-member teams might not always have the greatest years across the NFL in a given season, but one can rest assured that the rivalries will still run deep when they face off with each other.
That is why we very rarely see the New York Giants engage in any talks regarding their in-house players or those stationed with the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, or Washington Commanders. A potential exchange on draft night is an even or very unlikely occurrence.
However, a new analysis from Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, predicting the best landing spots for select NFL stars rumored to be on the trade block ahead of the 2026 draft, is actually calling on the Giants and one of their bitter rivals to put down their differences and strike a deal.
Kay suggests that GM Joe Schoen pick up the phone if the Dallas Cowboys come calling and execute a trade that sends them outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux in exchange for some of their extra draft capital within Days 2 and 3.
Why this trade proposal is nothing more than a dream
The Giants have been a frequent subject of draft-day trade rumors over the last couple of months of the offseason, both as they searched for extra picks on Day 2, and as the future of Thibodeaux within the Giants’ defensive front came into question after two off years on the gridiron.
Even after the Dexter Lawrence deal that sent the 28-year-old disgruntled defensive tackle to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall pick, which now gives the Giants an opportunity to snatch two elite prospects off the board early, Joe Schoen does still have holes on both sides of the ball to address as the draft rolls along.
That said, if the Giants are to make any extra moves on draft weekend to acquire some needed capital, it is highly unlikely they’re picking up the phones to do business with the Dallas Cowboys.
The simplest reason is that the Giants have been working hard over the last few seasons just to catch up to the Cowboys and Eagles and become competitive in the NFC East race.
Trading a player to the former, like Thibodeaux, who still has some impactful pass-rushing left in him, would be too much against their efforts.
Looking back at the health of the interior, the Giants are still established with a trio of pass rushers in Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Abdul Carter, who can also play as an off-ball linebacker in the middle.
It’s the middle and the overall run response that have taken the biggest toll from Lawrence’s exit, and it’s unlikely the Giants will want to see two key members of their unit drop out.
Thibodeaux was one of the Giants’ better players in stopping the run, earning an 80.7 run defense grade while making 15 stops and missing just four tackles in the trenches. He would still have a useful role in that realm despite the team’s struggles, which finished dead last in the league at 5.3 yards per attempt allowed in 2025.
The only downside to rejecting such a deal, even from the Cowboys, is not only the ability to gain extra picks for the third and fourth rounds, but the reality that 2026 will be an important year for the former 2022 first-round pick who is playing on his fifth-year option this season.
If Thibodeaux rebounds and has a solid year similar to his 11.5 sack outing in the 2023 season, the Giants could face a tough predicament when they also know the contract fates of Brian Burns and Abdul Carter will eventually come around as well.
Perhaps that’s a risk that the franchise takes after trading Lawrence and making the pass rush a staple of their roster last offseason. Harbaugh did say anyone is tradable, but he might add an exception to that when dealing with rival teams within the division.
We will find out what happens this weekend to decide whether Thibodeaux remains a key piece of what’s coming in East Rutherford in 2026 and beyond. To see the Giants offering their talents to the Cowboys, who’ve dominated them in recent history, is almost a laughable prediction.
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