Oregon Ducks Defensive End Kayvon Thibodeaux Selected 5th Overall by New York Giants in 2022 NFL Draft

The Ducks secure their third straight top 10 pick in the draft and sixth in the last 10 years.

The highest-rated signee in the history of Oregon Ducks football has fulfilled his prophecy of becoming an NFL player.

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has been selected fifth overall by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Thibodeaux becomes the highest-drafted Oregon defensive player since Dion Jordan in 2013. He also becomes the first Oregon player to be a top five pick since Marcus Mariota in 2015.

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux vs. Cal

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

The 6-foot-4, 254-pound edge rusher heads to the Big Apple after three seasons as an Oregon Duck, where he has been projected to be a high draft pick before he even donned the green and yellow. He was the No. 2 prospect in the 2019 class out of Oaks Christian High School. Setting a program freshman record with 9.0 sacks, he lived up to his lofty expectations early in his freshman year, earning the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honor, as voted on by the league's coaches.

On the national stage at the Pac-12 Championship Game, Thibodeaux announced himself to the college football world, erupting for 2.5 sacks in the fourth quarter alone, along with a blocked punt.

He continued to impress draft analysts in his sophomore year, collecting All-Pac-12 First Team honors and the Morris Trophy in the COVID-shortened season. Thibodeaux shined once again in the Pac-12 title game, this time abusing USC for a whopping 12 quarterback pressures, two tackles for loss and a sack.

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux vs. Oregon State

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Despite battling an ankle injury early in the season, Thibodeaux turned in perhaps his most impressive season in 2021, becoming the first Oregon defensive player to ever earn unanimous All-American honors. He totaled 49 tackles (12 TFL), 7.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 48 total quarterback pressures and 28 hurries, per Pro Football Focus.

In total, Thibodeaux finished his Oregon career tied for seventh in program history with 19.0 sacks, as well as 35.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, 123 total tackles, and seven pass breakups.

As if a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft wasn't set in stone already, Thibodeaux continued to impress teams at the scouting combine, while participating in limited drills. He ran a 4.58 40-yard dash and put up 27 reps on the bench press. At Oregon's Pro Day on April 1 in front of 31 NFL teams, he logged a broad jump of 9 feet 11 inches, a 3-cone drill of 7.23 seconds, and a a pro shuttle of 4.34 seconds.

Graphic by Dylan Reubenking/Photos by Scott Boldt

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