The Colts didn’t own a first-round pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night but one of the early picks could impact Indianapolis’ future.
With the fifth pick Thursday night, the New York Giants selected Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese, who many believed would be taken in the first four picks – potentially as high as second-overall to the Jets. Being taken inside the top five would presumably guarantee Reese a starting spot on the edge in John Harbaugh’s defense.
Could it come at the expense of strong side linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux? The Colts may very well hope so.
For months, Thibodeaux has headlined the list of players across the NFL believed to be on the trade block, and Giants brass haven’t exactly shut the idea down. During February’s NFL Combine, Harbaugh and Giants general manager Joe Schoen were both asked about Thibodeaux and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II’s futures in New York. At the time, Lawrence was six weeks away from formally requesting a trade and Schoen shrugged off the idea the 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowler was available.
“I don’t know where this Dex stuff is coming from,” he said of the defensive tackle that still had two years left on his current contract worth more than $20 million per year through 2027. Earlier this month, the Giants traded Lawrence to the Bengals for the 10th-overall pick in this year’s draft.
Two months ago, all Shoen could say regarding Thibodeaux was, “Right now, Kayvon’s going to be with us.”
“He played well (last year),” the Giants GM continued. “He is going into his fifth year, and he’s motivated, and you can’t have enough pass rushers. You really can’t. I’m proud of the development and the maturation of Kayvon, and he’s come a long way, and I expect big things out of him next year with that rotation.”
Schoen mentioned that the Giants fielded calls on Thibodeaux around last season’s trade deadline, and multiple sources told ESPN earlier this year they would expect the 25-year-old to be dealt for a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.
“My job as a general manager is if people come and they ask if we’d be interested in trading, if we’re interested in their players, you take into consideration everything,” Shoen said in February. “Doesn’t mean we’re going to do it, but we’re always going to listen. That’s my job.”
In the last week, though, reports are mixed as to whether the Lawrence trade would make the possibility of Thibodeaux being dealt more or less likely. On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport posted on X that the Giants are now considered “less likely to trade (Thibodeaux),” though also noting that nothing could be ruled out. ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday morning listed Thibodeaux among the list of candidates to be dealt across this week’s draft – a list that included the Colts’ Anthony Richardson Sr. and Kenny Moore II.
Days after Lawrence made his trade request official April 6, Harbaugh was asked by reporters at the opening of voluntary workouts of Thibodeaux’s status on the team long term, with New York having traded for ex-Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns two years ago before inking him to a new five-year deal worth as much as $150 million. A year ago, the Giants also took outside linebacker Abdul Carter third overall in the draft, quickly making for a crowded edge rusher and linebacker room with Thursday’s addition of Reese.
“I think he’s a great player. I’m excited about him,” Harbaugh said when asked about Thibodeaux’s trade prospects by The Athletic’s Dan Dugan. “I was fired up to see him today. He looks great, he’s in great shape. I’m thinking about him on the field, getting him plugged into our defense and getting him rolling.
“You want to talk about is he a trade possibility? Everybody’s tradeable, everybody. Even you’re tradeable, Dan. If we can get something for you, we’d trade you in a heartbeat.”
In late-April last year, the Giants announced they had picked up Thibodeax’s fifth-year option, which will pay him a guaranteed $14.751 million base salary. The Giants edge rusher has only played 22 games over the past two seasons – his 2025 campaign ending prematurely at just 10 games played with a shoulder injury, compiling just 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He managed just 12 games in 2024 with a wrist injury following a sophomore campaign where he compiled 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 12 tackles for a loss and 16 QB hits.
Yes, it’s the same Kayvon Thibodeaux who sacked and injured then-Colts quarterback Nick Foles during the 2022 season and then did snow angels on the field. But the Colts desperately need a pass rusher and would easily have enough cap space to make room for such a move. The franchise has roughly $26 million available and could reach close to $40 million if they trade Richardson and Moore around this weekend’s draft. At the moment, the Colts are bracing for an open competition at the edge rush position opposite third-year defensive end Laiatu Latu, with last year’s second-round pick Jaylahn Tuimoloau, veteran free agent pick-up Arden Key and a prospective draft pick this weekend after losing out early in free agency on new Raven’s signee Trey Hendrickson.
Among other possible trade candidates, the Vikings downplayed the prospect last month of dealing edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, the 29-year-old who also battled injury woes in 2025 and who still has two years left on his current deal – with only $4 million guaranteed. Greenard was absent for the start of the Vikings’ voluntary workouts this month as he seeks a new deal – whether with Minnesota or elsewhere.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Colts could land a pass rusher because of a first-round pick in NFL Draft
Reporting by Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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