Giants star rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux suffers knee injury

Rookie linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, taken as the fifth overall pick in the 2022 Draft by the New York Giants, left his team's second preseason game prematurely against the Cincinnati Bengals with a knee injury that left him sprawled out on the field, although the severity of the problem is unknown at this time.

Thibodeaux was hurt when he was hit in the right knee on a block by tight end Thaddeus Moss on a 15-yard run play from the Giants at Metlife Stadium with 11:04 left to play in the second quarter.

The play occurred after the Giants' CJ Board lost the ball on a kickoff return in what is anticipated to be a difficult season for the "G-Men."

Thibodeaux's injury appears to be not too serious

Thibodeaux was left on the surface clutching his knee as assistant trainers ran onto the field to tend to him. He was quickly taken out of the game on the attendant's cart to be taken to the locker room.

However, the rookie got up and walked with some difficulty to the team's medical tent on the sidelines, where he was examined. After the checkup, the rookie defensive end acted as if he was fine after the Giants' medical staff checked him out. He subsequently headed to the locker room and did not return to the field.

At this time, the Giants have not reported the severity of the injury, but as a precaution, he did not return to play.

Previously, the Giants had already lost rookie offensive lineman Marcus McKethan with a torn ACL injury, while fourth-round pick Dane Belton broke his collarbone and undrafted rookie tight end Andre Miller suffered a broken forearm. It looks like the Giants will have a complicated rebuilding season.

Giants' great defensive hope

The Giants are expecting a lot from Thibodeaux this season as they look to rebuild their flimsy defense. He is a physically gifted athlete out of Oregon who was considered one of the best rushers available in this year's draft.

Thibodeaux, 21, is small to jump off the line of scrimmage like EDGE. He's 64 and weighs 254 pounds. However, he has great talent that he showed since high school, when he was considered the second-best prospect in the nation. From there he jumped to Oregon where he honed his talent, although he had offers from Alabama.

With the Ducks, Thibodeaux became a star, showing his impressive physical abilities. About him, his former teammate, current Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, said:

"He came in when he was 17, I was 21. He was able to outweigh me lifting weights by a few hundred pounds. I knew he was going to be special," he explained.

In 30 NCAA appearances, he racked up impressive numbers: 19 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss of yardage, earning him consideration to the Pac-12 Conference All-Star team, a third-team All-American selection.

He also posted an impressive 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, making him one of the top prospects for the 2022 Draft.

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