The Detroit Lions have one of the best pass rushers in the game. However, as good as Aidan Hutchinson is, he can only do so much on his own. That has been one of the team's Achilles heels for years, yet they haven't done much to fix it.
Fortunately for them, they might have the perfect opportunity to address that issue right in front of them before training camp. The New York Giants might be open to trading Kayvon Thibodeaux, and he'd be a solid addition to Kelvin Sheppard's defense.
Thibodeaux is the odd man out in John Harbaugh's stacked defensive line. As such, and with a big payday looming, Lions general manager Brad Holmes shouldn't hesitate to pick up the phone and get him.
Lions must make a move for Kayvon Thibodeaux
Kayvon Thibodeaux hasn't lived up to the sky-high hype that surrounded him when he first entered the league. But, to be fair, it's not like a lot of players have thrived with the New York Giants in the past four years.
Moreover, the potential is most definitely there. He had 11.5 sacks in his second year in the league, which was also the only season he played all 17 games. He may only need a change of scenery to be back at his best and fulfill expectations.
Thibodeaux has active hands in coverage, logging 13 passes defensed in 53 career games. He's got 23.5 sacks, 152 total tackles, including 31 for loss, 55 quarterback hits, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown.
The Giants are already more than set at the position with Abdul Carter and Brian Burns, and with the latter set for a big payday, they may have no choice but to part ways with their former No. 5 pick. They picked up his fifth-year option, but after watching him miss seven games with a shoulder injury, they will probably feel comfortable letting him go at a discount.
While there are plenty of reasons to have doubts about him, he's just 25. He was an absolute beast at Oregon, and his 11.5 sacks in his sophomore season show he can dominate in the pros when he's healthy and given an opportunity.
The Lions don't even need to make a long-term commitment to him right out of the way. They can test the waters and see how he fares before giving him a big contract. He'd be an upgrade over every guy they had potentially lining up opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and there's not much to lose if things don't work out.
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