(Photo by Samuel Marshall/Eric Evans Photography)
Kayvon Thibodeaux has been on the NFL’s radar since his freshman year with the Oregon Ducks. As a true freshman, Thibodeaux racked up 9.0 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss. Last season for the Ducks, Thibodeaux had a bit of drop-off in production, only accumulating 3.0 sacks, however, his tackles-for-loss (TFL) rate was still rather high, averaging over 1.5 TFLs per game as opposed to his freshman season when he averaged 1.08 TFLs per game. Despite the hype, he has received as a pass-rusher, and rightfully so, it may not even be the best part of his game as he is one of the better run defenders along the defensive line in college football which gives him a high floor as a prospect.
Strengths:
- Excellent strength at the point of attack
- Converting speed to power
- Good initial pop on contact to put OL on his heels
- Anchor v. the run
- Push-Pull
- Puts OL at the end of his reach, allows him to peak over OL’s shoulders
- Ability to play in space/drop in coverage
- 2 & 3 point stance versatility
- Run defense instincts
- Motor is always running
- Goes for ball when he gets to the quarterback
- Wins w/ leverage, gets his arms over his eyes
- Gets his hands up at the LoS to effect passing lanes
- Shown the ability to win w/ an inside move
Weaknesses:
- Snap anticipation
- Shoulders get perpendicular to the LoS when attacking in his pass-rush, opening up his chest for OL
- Feet get narrow when engaged with OL
- Not a large tool-kit as a pass-rusher
- Lacks hand counters, gets caught on blocks if he doesn’t win w/ his first move
- Can struggle to get the QB to the ground
2021 Season Statistics:
25 solo tackles, 17 assisted tackles, 42 total tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks, and 3 pass deflections in six games played
Preliminary Grade:
7.88 – First Round Grade