New York Giants first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux says he is fully healthy following a minor hip injury and has high expectations for himself for his rookie season. Thibodeaux suffered the injury during spring practice, but says he will be good to go for training camp when rookies report on July 19.
"I'm fully healthy, I'm doing fine. I'm back training and I'll be ready to go for training camp," the linebacker said (via the NFL Network).
While there is technically an NFL offseason, Thibodeaux is not acting like there is one, and is using this time to put in more work so he can be at his best for the 2022 season, calling his training "a full-time job."
The No. 5 overall pick has a specific goal in mind and while he says he does not want to get too ambitious, he still has pretty lofty expectations for himself.
"I don't want to think too big. You have to compartmentalize the season ... If I could average at least one sack a game or contribute five to 10 tackles a game, then I'll be good," he said.
With The First Pick Newsletter
With The First Pick Newsletter
Prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft with the day’s big stories + mock drafts, big board updates and more.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
His sack goal of 17 would have put him at third in the NFL in the 2021 season. In his three seasons combined with the Oregon Ducks, he had 19 sacks and126 tackles. The Giants had 34 sacks last season, tied for 22nd in the league.
Thibodeaux's mindset is to break down the season by each game, rather than create an overarching goal that could distract him.
"That's the smartest way to do it. You never want to look at the end. You always want to take it day by day. If you reach for the top, you'll miss those steps right in front of you," he said. "So I know if I take those small steps and get that one sack or five to 10 tackles a game, by the end of the season, I'll be where I want to be."
