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WATCH: Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux Sprains MCL in Preseason vs. Cincinatti Bengals

The top-five draft pick had gotten off to a strong start in the pros with the men in blue.

Max Torres

In this story:

Former Oregon Duck Kayvon Thibodeaux knew there would be a lot of hype to live up to when he was selected by the New York Giants with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

He had been doing a great job acclimating to the pros, especially after one rep went viral of him dominating fellow rookie Evan Neal. But in Sunday's preseason contest against the Cincinatti Bengals, Thibodeaux went down with an injury.

Rookie tight end Thaddeus Moss pulled on a run play and laid a low cut block that contorted Thibodeaux's leg in a dangerous way.

The Giants sent a cart out for the highly-touted rookie, but Thibodeaux was able to walk off under his own power after immediately going down to the ground and reaching for his knee in pain. He was later seen walking around, laughing and smiling on the sideline after exiting the game, a positive sign that he was in high spirits after getting dinged up.

READ MORE: Oregon targeting USC LB commit Dylan Williams

Head coach Brian Daboll said following the game Sunday that the pass rusher would undergo further tests on Monday. Today, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that Thibodeaux had suffered a sprained MCL, an injury that is expected to make him miss three to four weeks. 

Fortunately for Thibodeaux and the Giants, his ACL and meniscus were intact after the injury and the team reportedly is still hopeful that he'll be ready for the team's regular season opener against the Titans on September 11. The Giants will have their final preseason game against the New York Jets at Metlife Stadium on August 28. 

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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