Vikings Draft Profile: How Far Could Kayvon Thibodeaux Fall?
Josh Frey
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In recent years, it seems that if there is anything consistent about the NFL Draft, it is that the top Oregon prospect is going to have behavioral question marks surrounding them. It was the case for Justin Herbert in 2020 as it was for Penei Sewell in 2021. Both prospects have played quite well early on in their NFL careers, so you’d think that at some point we’d learn a lesson from this. Apparently, that is not the case as the same questions now are being applied to star EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux. Many are predicting that he will fall in the draft, but could he fall far enough that the Minnesota Vikings draft him?
Statistics
- 2019 (13 Games): 35 tackles, 14 TFLs, 9 sacks, 3 PDs, 1 FF
- 2020 (7 Games): 42 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 3 PDs
- 2021 (10 Games): 49 tackles, 12 TFLs, 7 sacks, 1 PD, 2 FF
Strengths
If you were building a pass-rusher in a laboratory, there’s a good chance that you’d end up with someone similar to Kayvon Thibodeaux. He is the prototypical size for an NFL EDGE, standing at 6’5 and 258 pounds. He could probably use a bit more poundage on his frame, but he demonstrates terrific speed and explosiveness off the line that makes up for a lighter frame. Additionally, he is long and has plenty of room to grow when he gets to the NFL.
Not only is he explosive, but the agility that he displays with his pass-rushing technique is top-notch. His feet are nimble and move very quickly, and he has powerful, fast hands that plow through opposing tackles. This is important as it keeps him unpredictable; offensive linemen have to keep guessing what Thibodeaux will hit them with next.
Finally, at Oregon he showed versatility to play in a variety of different schemes. He can play either from a three-point stance with his hand in the dirt along the line, and he can also play from a two-point in more of an OLB situation. It didn’t happen all that often with the Ducks, but in the few instances where Thibodeaux had to step back in coverage, he held his own against tight ends. His speed also allowed him to chase down running backs.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”986495″ player=”26281″ title=”WATCH%204%20ideal%20Chicago%20Bears%20wide%20receiver%20options%20in%202022%20NFL%20draft” duration=”119″ description=”There is no doubt the Chicago Bears and quarterback Justin Fields could use some help in the passing game in 2022. Second-year wide receiver Darnell Mooney did an admirable job in being the team’s top receiver and racking up over 1,000 yards last season, but he does not project to be a legit WR1 in the NFL for years to come.Outside of Mooney there was a major production dropoff for the Bears receivers. Tight end Cole Kernet tallied the second most yards with 612 in 2021, and exiting free agent WR Allen Robinson was third on the team despite playing in only 12 games. After Mooney, the next four players on the team’s receiving stats list barely had over 1,600 yards combined.It is a serious enough problem that Bears General Manager Ryan Poles recently admitted they have a glaring weakness at the position. However, despite not having a first round pick in this month’s draft, he won’t waste a top pick on a WR reach.” uploaddate=”2022-04-05″ thumbnailurl=”undefined” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/986456/986456.m3u8″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
Weaknesses
For all his strengths, the one weakness is what is causing people to have questions. It has very little to do with his actual on-field skills, but it’s with his mindset. It’s hard to overlook the fact that he often took snaps off at Oregon. Perhaps this had to do with the fact that he was playing in a PAC-12 conference that is starved of competitive programs at a national stage, but that brings up a completely different question of what Thibodeaux can do against said competitors.
This concern was only magnified when at the scouting combine, he unexpectedly sat out of the linebacker drills. Reportedly, Thibodeaux had told teams going into the event that he would perform both the defensive line and linebacker drills before calling it quits when the d-line drills concluded. The talent is unquestioned, but it could be derailed if his mental fortitude is not up to snuff.
The Odds that the Vikings Draft Thibodeaux
If Kayvon Thibodeaux ended up on the Minnesota Vikings, there would be an absolute embarrassment of riches at EDGE/OLB with a trio of Danielle Hunter, Za’Darius Smith, and Thibodeaux. All three have very similar skillsets, and if Hunter were to have any issues as a linebacker, this would be an excellent backup plan while moving Hunter back to the d-line. The Vikings already have a fearsome defensive front, and this would make that even more deadly.
Even though Thibodeaux has been tumbling down boards in recent months, there is a very slim chance that he is still on the board at No. 12. The Vikings will have to trade up if they want to get him and given the talent they already have at his position, the reasoning behind such a trade isn’t all that sound. Thibodeaux shouldn’t last longer than the New York Giants at No. 7 and moving up that far would cost a premium when Minnesota has a litany of other positions that need attention in the draft. Crazy things happen in the NFL Draft, though, and especially in a class as wide-open as this one, nothing should be off the board.
