Thibodeaux Goes No. 5 Overall to Giants

LAS VEGAS — Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was selected by the New York Giants with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, giving the Oregon football program a top-10 selection for the third year in a row.

Oregon is one of three schools to have a top-10 pick in each of the last three NFL Drafts, along with Alabama and LSU.

Thibodeaux is Oregon's first top-five selection since Marcus Mariota went No. 2 overall in 2015, and he joins Dion Jordan (No. 3, 2013) as the only UO defensive players to be taken in the top five. Overall, Thibodeaux is the seventh top-five pick in program history.

The fourth Duck ever to be named a unanimous all-American, Thibodeaux is Oregon's 10th all-time top-10 pick and 20th first-round selection. He is the seventh top-10 draftee since 2000 and sixth since 2013, and he becomes the eighth defensive player to be selected in the first round.

A Los Angeles native, Thibodeaux becomes the ninth Duck to be drafted by the Giants. He will join former UO offensive lineman Shane Lemieux on New York's roster.

"I knew, I manifested it," Thibodeaux said after the selection. "We had great talks. They FaceTimed me on the plane and they were excited to talk to me, and I knew it was time.

"It was just a blessing … Just to be a part of a family – an organization like this – it's ridiculous."

"I knew it was time."@kayvont is HYPED to be going to the @Giants as Oregon's first top-5 pick since 2015! #ProDucks

Watch the #NFLDraft on ESPN/ABC/NFLN. pic.twitter.com/bCdQsKRjGu
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) April 29, 2022

Thibodeaux enjoyed a dominant three-year career with the Ducks, tying for seventh in program history with 19.0 career sacks in 31 games. He made 34.5 career tackles for loss, and he is the first Oregon player ever to lead the team in both sacks and TFLs in three straight seasons.

A finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2021, Thibodeaux became the first UO defensive player ever to earn unanimous all-America status while also receiving first-team all-Pac-12 honors for the second year in a row. Thibodeaux led Oregon with seven sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss in his final season despite missing multiple games due to injury.

One of the highest-regarded recruits in program history, Thibodeaux burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019 and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He set a program freshman record with nine sacks, and dominated in the conference title game with a Pac-12 Championship Game record 2.5 sacks and a blocked punt.

Thibodeaux will join a Giants organization that went 4-13 in 2021 and is entering its first season under new head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.

Oregon All-Time First Round Picks
2022 – DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, No. 5 (New York Giants)
2021 – OT Penei Sewell, No. 7 (Detroit Lions)
2020 – QB Justin Herbert, No. 6 (Los Angeles Chargers)
2016 – DE DeForest Buckner, No. 7 (San Francisco 49ers)
2015 – QB Marcus Mariota, No. 2 (Tennessee Titans)
2015 – DT Arik Armstead, No. 15 (San Francisco 49ers)
2013 – OLB Dion Jordan, No. 3 (Miami Dolphins)
2013 – OG Kyle Long, No. 20 (Chicago Bears)
2008 – RB Jonathan Stewart, No. 13 (Carolina Panthers)
2006 – DT Haloti Ngata, No. 12 (Baltimore Ravens)
2002 – QB Joey Harrington, No. 3 (Detroit Lions)
1999 – QB Akili Smith, No. 3 (Cincinnati Bengals)
1996 – DB Alex Molden, No. 11 (New Orleans Saints)
1987 – QB Chris Miller, No. 13 (Atlanta Falcons)
1976 – DB Mario Clark, No. 18 (Buffalo Bills)
1975 – TE Russ Francis, No. 16 (New England Patriots)
1972 – WR Ahmad Rashad, No. 4 (St. Louis Cardinals)
1972 – OT Tim Drougas, No. 22 (Baltimore Colts)
1968 – DB Jim Smith, No. 12 (Washington)
1955 – QB George Shaw, No. 1 (Baltimore Colts)

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