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Kayvon Thibodeaux NFL Draft Profile
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Kayvon Thibodeaux Scouting ReportKayvon challenges inside with quickness and strong hands. He is a run-and-chase defender who can leave a mark. He is a supreme pass-rusher with great speed and size. He plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Kayvon keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either side with strong hands. Kayvon looks the part. He possesses a long, athletic build with room for additional muscle mass. He flashes a burst off the snap, good enough to cross the face of collegiate tackles and put him in position to make big plays behind the line of scrimmage. He flashes nimble feet to chase running backs and mobile quarterbacks to the side-line when lined up at the end. Spins off blocks to get back into the play. Kayvon offers versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space. He flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. He has the classic frame and long arms. He has tremendous explosion, accelerates low with power. He is relentless blindside pursuit; tracks down ball carriers across the field. Kayvon good lateral agility to elude. He plays on the balls of his feet and shows enough balance and flexibility to quickly turn and pursue laterally and downfield. He is versatile enough to convert to 3-4 outside linebacker or move inside to rush the passer. |
Areas for ImprovementAt present, he predominantly relies on winning with speed to power. While this has been successful in his college career, he will need to consistently deploy other tools of the trade to succeed in the NFL. The Oregon Duck has exhibited some tools in his arsenal, but he needs to refine them and use them more often. Thibodeaux’s speed and agility mean he can win off the edge, he needs to ensure that he keeps his balance. There were several examples on tape where he loses his footing as he bends around the edge, leaving some production on the table.
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Kayvon Thibodeaux Career at OregonThe transition from high school to college isn’t always easy, but Thibodeaux proved immediately comfortable as a defensive end for Oregon. Actually, comfortable doesn’t quite describe it. He proved to be destructive and downright dangerous for the Ducks as a true freshman in 2019. Although he’s only credited with making five starts, he played in all 14 games during his first season. He registered 1 tackle on his debut against Auburn, but the potential from the explosive pass rusher was plain to see. The production would come soon after. In Thibodeaux’s fifth appearance (against Cal), he made his mark. Earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, he racked up 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and his first and only career forced fumble. It was the first of multiple 2-plus sack games. In the Pac-12 Championship Game, he set a game record with 2.5 sacks against Utah, blocking a punt in the process.
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Kayvon Thibodeaux NFL Draft Player ProfileKayvon has looked likely to be a top pick in the 2022 NFL draft since high school. A highly regarded five-star prospect, he was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2019 class and received offers from 27 schools, including Alabama and USC. He committed instead to the Ducks and has been a starter since his true freshman season. Since then he has racked up an impressive 83 pressures and 15 sacks on his 591 pass-rushing snaps and been voted First Team All-Pac-12, as well as winning the Morris Trophy as the conference’s best lineman.
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