Kayvon Thibodeaux Says it's 'Ridiculous' to Say He's Not NFL Draft's Best Player

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux said Friday it's "outrageous" to suggest he's not the top prospect in the 2022 NFL draft class.

Max Torres of Ducks Digest provided the standout edge-rusher's full comments on the topic following his pro-day workout:

Thibodeaux entered the pre-draft process among the candidates to get selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick on April 28.

He may be falling out of contention for that distinction, however, and could be looking at a draft-day slide.

ESPN's Matt Miller reported Friday that Thibodeaux has become "one of the most polarizing prospects" in the class after a series of "poor" interviews with interested teams, which has the potential to drop him outside the top 10 selections.

Front offices must weigh those concerns against the potential the 21-year-old Los Angeles native could become a game-changing player off the edge, which is one of the NFL's most valuable positions.

Thibodeaux recorded 126 total tackles, 19 sacks, seven passes defended and three forced fumbles in 30 appearances across three years with the Ducks. He's coming off a 2021 season where he racked up seven sacks in 10 games despite a nagging ankle injury.

The 2021 consensus All-American urged people to watch all of his college snaps to see the type of impact he can make.

"It is easy to see a snippet of something because that's what media does," Thibodeaux said Friday. "They cut stuff up and frame it how they want to. Just watch the whole tape, you will be able to see."

While the Jags have some strong alternatives at No. 1, led by fellow edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan and Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, it's hard to imagine a prospect of Thibodeaux's caliber falling outside the top 10.

The concerns raised by teams behind the scenes do add some risk to taking the former 247Sports 5-star high school prospect, but the need for players who can consistently get after the quarterback is far too high around the league for him to stay on the board for long.

Thibodeaux may not land in Jacksonville, but he should still hear his name called early on draft night, and it sounds like he's already developing a chip on his shoulder that could provide motivation heading into his rookie campaign.