Kayvon Thibodeaux could slip out of top 5 in NFL Draft?

Kayvon Thibodeau’s draft stock seems to be a lot different this year compared to last year.

Last year, Thibodeaux was viewed as a possible No. 1 overall pick. The Oregon Ducks defensive end had 49 tackles and seven sacks last season and didn’t wow quite as much as some expected. Now, people are talking about Thibodeaux possibly falling out of the top five in this year’s NFL Draft.

My Sports Update reporter Ari Meirov interviewed NFL Media draft analyst/scout Daniel Jeremiah for his podcast and asked about Thibodeaux. Jeremiah said he viewed Thibodeaux as someone he would likely take outside the top five picks.

“I know he battled an ankle injury, but I think he’s a little bit stiff. I don’t think he’s quite as big as everybody thought he was going to be. And then the effort wasn’t great,” Jeremiah said.

Could Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux slip in the draft? "I think it's absolutely in the realm of possibility he doesn't go in the first 4-5 picks. … He battled an ankle injury, but he's a bit stiff, he's not as big as everyone expected, and the effort wasn't great. ~ @MoveTheSticks pic.twitter.com/XWK5sItREz

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 9, 2022

Consider that last year, ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. had Thibodeaux at the top of their 2022 draft board. Then when doing a mock draft in December, McShay had the Oregon defensive lineman going second. Now it’s sounding like Thibodeaux could go even lower, with even McShay sharing some concerns.

Photo: Oct 15, 2021; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) warms-up with players before play California Golden Bears at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports