Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux lands in top-five of latest ESPN Mock Draft
Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux continues to be one of the most divisive players in this year’s NFL Draft.
The star edge rusher’s stock has fluctuated wildly this offseason. Some Draft experts consider him to be the most talented player on the board, while others don’t even have him listed in their top-10.
It’s been frequently reported that some NFL front offices have concerns about Thibodeaux’s off-field interests and mentality.
With the first round of the Draft set to begin in a little over 48 hours, though, at least one analyst is convinced that Thibodeaux will land in the top five.
Matt Miller of ESPN released an updated seven-round mock draft on Tuesday and projected that three Oregon players will be selected. That, of course, includes Thibodeaux, who Miller projects will be selected by the New York Giants with the fifth overall pick.
“Despite all the discussion about Thibodeaux’s motor and personality, he still gets to the quarterback exceptionally well,” Miller wrote. “He is an ideal fit in coordinator Wink Martindale’s system and is an immediate upgrade for a defensive front that couldn’t get to the quarterback last season. Thibodeaux is one of the most polarizing players in the class; he could be a top-five pick or fall out of the top 10 altogether.”
While Miller is higher on Thobodeaux than most, he believes that two edge rushers will be selected ahead of him. Miller projects the Jacksonville Jaguars will take Georgia defensive end No. 1 overall, and the Detroit Lions will take defensive end Aidan Hutchinson No. 2 overall.
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The Ducks have a handful of players who will likely be selected in the mid to late rounds. According to Miller’s mock draft, though, it could be a long wait for those players.
Millers projects the New England Patriots will select safety Verone McKinley III in the sixth round with the 183rd pick. He also believes the Atlanta Falcons will take cornerback Mykael Wright with the 190th pick, also in the sixth round.
Former Oregon receiver Devon Williams and running back CJ Verdell are not listed in Miller’s mock draft.
The first round of the Draft will begin at 5 p.m. PT Thursday on ESPN and will continue with the second and third rounds at 4 p.m. Friday. It will conclude Saturday with the final three rounds, beginning at 9 a.m.
