Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux believes the Giants are going to draft him in the top 7 of April’s NFL Draft, according to Colin Cowherd.

On “The Colin Cowherd Podcast,” Action Network CCO Chad Millman recently asked the show’s host about his most interesting conversation at The Volume Sports’ Super Bowl party in Los Angeles.

Cowherd didn’t hesitate.

“Kayvon Thibodeaux, the defensive end from Oregon,” he said. “He thinks he’s going to the New York Giants.”

Thibodeaux, 21, is a 6-5, 258-pound specimen who racked up seven sacks in his junior Ducks season before turning pro.

The Giants hold two picks in the top 10: Nos. 5 and 7. They acquired the second pick in Joe Judge’s 2020 trade back with the Chicago Bears.

The Giants have no elite edge rushers, and they need to be more productive at that position, especially in defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale’ pressure-heavy scheme.

They haven’t drafted a pass-rushing defensive end in the first round since Jerry Reese took Jason Pierre-Paul in 2010. He became a star and helped them win a Super Bowl in his second season.

Giants GM Joe Schoen has a ton of options holding so much valuable draft capital, though, with nine total picks and two in the top 7.

Thibodeaux is considered one of this draft’s top prospects, so it seems unlikely he’d still be on the board at No. 5. But one source said he expects possible movement in the top 10 due to the Giants’ assets, which could be how Thibodeaux ends up in blue: through a trade up.

Regardless, the point is that Schoen and the Giants have a ton of options, and everything is on the table.

They need to upgrade their offensive line, so North Carolina State junior tackle Ikem Ekwonu is in play.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah also mentioned the Giants and Jets (picks No. 4 and 10) as possible middlemen in any trade of a star quarterback between two other teams.

For example, if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted to get Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans, maybe the Giants give a first-rounder to the Bucs for a proven position player, then the Bucs use that extra draft pick to get the Texans’ QB.

Pass rusher is right there with offensive linemen and corners, though, as the Giants’ most critical NFL Draft and offseason needs. Thibodeaux will be an important prospect to follow in New York football in general, with the Jets also loaded with assets up top.

“He would fit in New York,” Cowherd said of Thibodeaux. “He’s got a big personality. He went to Oaks Christian out in California. It’s a very kind of, a lot of wealth and … famous dads’ kids, and he’s big. He would go to New York and feel like New York … He feels like somebody that should play in LA or New York or Chicago. He really does.”

THOMAS HAS SECOND ANKLE SURGERY

Giants starting left tackle Andrew Thomas had surgery in January on his left ankle for a second straight year, a source confirmed Wednesday. But Thomas, 23, is optimistic, the source said.

The procedure was similar to last year’s, but the belief is that Dr. Robert Anderson (Green Bay) fixed everything with this late January surgery that has been giving Thomas problems for a while. Thomas’ right ankle, also injured during this past season, did not require surgery and healed on its own.

Thomas had his first ankle surgery on Jan. 13, 2021, before last season. After a difficult preseason, the former No. 4 overall pick was playing pretty well in his second NFL year until reinjuring that left foot in a Week 4 win at New Orleans.

Thomas tried to gut it out two weeks later against the L.A. Rams, but he paid the price and had his right ankle rolled up on as he was hobbling to keep his bad left foot off the ground. That sent him to injured reserve.

Thomas returned and started the Giants’ final eight games, however. He caught a 2-yard TD pass in Tampa Bay in his first game back. And there is optimism that he’ll be fully healthy for his third NFL year. The Athletic first reported Thomas’ surgery.

NEWS AND NOTES

Veteran tackle Nate Solder’s contract automatically voided on Wednesday, making him a free agent, per The Athletic. The Giants will eat $4 million in dead money in 2022 due to the terms of Solder’s restructured contract. Solder, 33, had a disappointing Giants career after signing for big money in 2018 and became a whipping boy for fans in 2021. But he deserves credit for returning from his 2020 opt-out season and reclaiming a starting job on last year’s line. The Giants’ line stunk because of GM Dave Gettleman, but Solder had a tremendous training camp and reasserted himself as a true professional.

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The Giants touted new director of coaching operations Laura Young last week as “the first woman to hold a coaching position in Giants history.” One day later, the team issued a statement clarifying that Young is “the first woman to be a member of the coaching staff” but six other female staffers hold titles in personnel, data services and wellness to “completely fill out the picture of the women in our football operations.”

Those women are Hannah Burnett (first female Giants area scout), Coursey Kennedy (football data analyst), Dr. Lani Lawrence (director of Wellness and Clinical Services), Ashley Lynn (director of Player Engagement), Andrea Wagner (pro personnel assistant) and Rita Giordanetti (assistant to the GM/scouting).