The 2026 NFL regular season is only one month away and there are going to be plenty of roster moves between now and then as teams tweak their final lineups for Week 1. But one ESPN analyst believes that the reigning AFC champions and an NFC cellar dweller could be ripe for a big trade soon.
In a feature for ESPN this morning, writer Seth Walder proposed "five big trades during 2026 NFL training camps." While most of the trades were just depth moves, Walder suggested that the New York Giants might swing a trade with the New England Patriots, sending former No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux up north.
Walder argued that Thibodeaux has fallen too far down the Giants' depth chart to stay while the Patriots still need an impact player at edge rusher that he can provide.
"Thibodeaux is playing on his $14.75 million fifth-year option and is set to be a free agent at the end of this season. While there was an argument for having him as a third edge rusher behind Brian Burns and Abdul Carter in the past, New York now also has first-round pick Arvell Reese, who plays linebacker and edge. To keep Thibodeaux around at this price to potentially be the team's No. 4 edge rusher isn't ideal," Walder wrote.
"Thibodeaux offers long-term upside if New England decides to re-sign him. The Patriots' current edge rushers are Harold Landry III and Dre'Mont Jones. At this stage of their careers (Landry is 30, Jones 29), they're better fits as No. 2 and No. 3 edge rushers, respectively, on a contending team. Thibodeaux hasn't been good enough yet to be New England's unquestioned top edge rusher, but he possesses the promise to develop into that..."
Worth it?
That said, Walder doesn't expect that the Giants would get a whole lot in a trade with New England. He theorized that the Giants would receive a 2027 third-round draft pick in exchange for Thibodeaux and a fifth-round pick.
"Giants fans will likely feel like the team should get more in this deal. But it's all about the contract, as Thibodeaux has only one year left on his deal and is getting paid pretty close to what he would probably make on the open market."
© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
Thibodeaux looked like a star in the making coming out of Oregon in 2022. He looked great early on, recording 15.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and 19 QB hits over his first two seasons.
But 2024 was a step back and 2025 was even worse. Last year a shoulder injury limited him to 10 games and he finished with a career-low 2.5 sacks.
It's not unfair to say that Thibodeaux may be on borrowed time in New York. If the Giants want to avoid losing him for nothing, a trade before this season ends might be their only hope.
