Top Trade Packages for Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux if NY Drafts Abdul Carter

Plenty of teams will be on the hunt for pass-rushing help in this week's NFL draft. In fact, you could argue more teams need a boost at edge defender than there are first-round-caliber prospects at the position. 

There's a good chance several squads lose that familiar game of musical chairs when Abdul Carter inevitably goes off the board early and intriguing pass-rushers Shemar Stewart, Jalon Walker, Mike Green, Mykel Williams and James Pearce Jr. are likely chosen at various points in Round 1.

Carolina Panthers (8th), San Francisco 49ers (11th), Atlanta Falcons (15th), Cincinnati Bengals (17th), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19th), Green Bay Packers (23rd), Baltimore Ravens (27th) and Detroit Lions (28th) could all be vying for a handful or so edge defenders, with other teams liable to jump in and muck things up with "best available" picks as well. 

But all is not lost for teams that miss out. 

In fact, Carter's landing spot could create a new opportunity, as an NFL executive told The Athletic's Jeff Howe that the Giants could trade edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux for a third-round pick if they select the Penn State product at No. 3. 

That's nothing to sneeze at. Thibodeaux is a 24-year-old top-five pick who put up 11.5 sacks a year ago and still makes less than $10 million with no long-term commitment required. The upside is there, and it's entirely possible he takes off in a new setting. 

That will almost certainly be worth a Day 2 pick for somebody. Let's speculate.

Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

Panthers GM Dan Morgan

Why it makes sense: A team with a lot of soft spots might want to focus elsewhere with the No. 8 overall pick, and the pass rush struggled with a league-low pressure rate of 16.2 percent in the wake of Brian Burns' departure for the Giants in 2024. 

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Third-round pick (74th) overall, which isn't too inconvenient as the Panthers have two fourth-round selections.

San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Scot Tucker

49ers GM John Lynch

Why it makes sense: The 49ers need a replacement for departed veteran Leonard Floyd opposite Nick Bosa, but they might miss out on the cream of the draft crop at the No. 11 spot and may prefer to address another need like interior defensive line, offensive tackle or cornerback. 

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Third-round pick (75th) overall, which is easy to swallow because San Francisco has another third-rounder, two fourth-rounders and two fifth-rounders.

Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot

Why it makes sense: The Falcons produced an NFC-low 31 sacks in 2024 and have refused to truly or aggressively address the pass rush in recent offseasons. 

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Second-round pick in 2026. They lack a third-rounder this year and don't have the draft ammo to pull it off, but maybe they can entice the rebuilding Giants with a more primo selection a year from now.

Realistically, though, Atlanta is a long shot and should be well-positioned to land a second-tier first-round pass-rusher in the No. 15 spot.

Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin

Why it makes sense: The Bengals need a partner for Trey Hendrickson, who could also be entering his final year with the team. They also ranked in the bottom 10 with just 36 sacks last year.

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Third-round pick (81st overall) or a second-rounder in 2026 if competition is fierce.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht

Why it makes sense: Pro Football Focus assigned them a bottom-12 pass rush as a ton of their pressure and sacks came from spots other than the edge in 2024. Even with talented question mark Haason Reddick joining the fray, they need help now. 

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Third-round pick (84th overall) or a second-rounder in 2026 if competition is strong.

Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst

Why it makes sense: "We've got to be able to get after the quarterback with four," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in March. Only Rashan Gary had more than a handful of sacks for Green Bay in 2024. 

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Third-round pick (87th overall) or a second-rounder in 2026 if the competition for his services is robust.

Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Terrance Williams, File

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta

Why it makes sense: The Ravens racked up a lot of sacks (54), but their pressure rate (22.5 percent) only put them in the middle of the pack last year. Plus, Kyle Van Noy is 34 and Odafe Oweh is entering a contract year.

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Third-round pick (91st overall), plus one of their four sixth-rounders to sweeten the pot (they also have two fourth-round selections).

Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Lions GM Brad Holmes

Why it makes sense: The Lions need more support for Aidan Hutchinson following the release of veteran Za'Darius Smith. No other Detroit edges had more than two sacks in 2024. 

Fair compensation for Thibodeaux: Second-round pick (60th overall) if competition is fierce, or a 2026 second-rounder. The Lions' 2025 third-rounder (102nd overall) is unlikely to get the job done.