The Giants are staring down a crossroads at fifth overall, and if Kayvon Thibodeaux gets moved before draft day, Reuben Bain Jr. becomes a logical pick if he’s the board. Not because he’s the safest. Not because he’s the flashiest. But because he’s exactly what Dennard Wilson needs to complete the defense John Harbaugh envisioned when he took this job.
Bain Jr. isn’t just another pass rusher with upside. He’s a 6’3″, 270-pound enforcer who dominated the line of scrimmage at Miami, and his tape against Indiana showed why NFL teams are circling him in the first round. Eighty-three pressures. Twelve sacks. Thirty-six tackles. Those aren’t just solid numbers for a college edge. They’re elite production from a player who can set the edge, collapse the pocket, and potentially slide inside on passing downs.
That versatility matters in Wilson’s system. The defensive coordinator built his reputation running aggressive, multiple-front schemes that demand edge defenders who can do more than just pin their ears back and rush the passer. Bain Jr. checks every box.
The Run Defense Piece This Defense Still Needs
Look, the Giants already have Brian Burns and Abdul Carter locked into their edge rotation. Burns just made his third Pro Bowl after one of the greatest defensive seasons in recent franchise history. Carter flashed as a rookie, generating pressure at a solid clip and showing the kind of athleticism that justifies a third overall pick.
But here’s what they don’t have: a true run-stopping force on the edge who can set a physical tone on early downs. Thibodeaux has been spotty at best in that phase. His 29% missed tackle rate before the shoulder injury last season tells you everything you need to know about his consistency. Burns? Elite athlete, average run defender. Carter? Still developing that part of his game.
The Giants gave up 133.2 rushing yards per game last season, ranking 25th in the league. You can’t fix that with scheme alone when teams are gashing you on the edges. You need players who can hold the point of attack and refuse to give ground.
Bain Jr. was one of the best run-defending edge rushers in college football this season. Watch the Indiana tape and you’ll see him destroy double teams, set a physical edge, and pursue ball carriers sideline to sideline with the kind of relentless motor that translates immediately to Sundays.
Wilson’s Aggression Demands Pass Rush Depth
The real genius of this pick becomes clear when you understand Wilson’s philosophy. He blitzes. He sends pressure from everywhere. He creates one-on-one matchups and demands his edge rushers win them consistently.
Bain Jr.’s 83 pressures came from a diverse rush arsenal. Speed-to-power conversions, violent hand usage, and the kind of bend around the edge that suggests there’s another gear waiting to unlock at the next level. His 12 sacks weren’t fluky cleanup work. They were the result of a player who won with technique and power.
Adding Bain Jr. to a rotation with Burns and Carter gives Wilson the kind of depth that makes his aggressive system sustainable over 17 games. You can rotate fresh legs. You can create mismatches. And most importantly, you can bring back the NASCAR package, a four-man speed rush unit that terrified offenses when the Giants deployed it properly.
Imagine Bain Jr., Burns, and Carter on the field simultaneously on third down, with Dexter Lawrence collapsing the pocket from the interior.
The Thibodeaux Trade Opens the Door
Thibodeaux is entering the final year of his rookie deal after his fifth-year option was picked up. He played 494 snaps before the shoulder injury ended his season. Thirty-two pressures, three sacks, and that ugly 29% missed tackle rate that won’t help his extension negotiations.
The Giants aren’t extending him after 2026. That’s just the reality of the situation. So if a team calls offering a second or third-round pick before the draft, Harbaugh should take it and run. Thibodeaux has value as a rotational edge rusher with upside, but he’s not the foundational piece this defense needs.
Trading Thibodeaux while he still has trade value opens the door for Bain Jr. at fifth overall without any roster awkwardness. It’s clean. It’s logical. And it fits the timeline of what Harbaugh is building with a young core that includes Carter, Malik Nabers, and now potentially Bain Jr.
The alternative is watching Thibodeaux walk in free agency after 2026 and getting nothing in return. That’s poor asset management, and Joe Schoen knows it.
Bain Jr. Can Align Inside on Third Downs
Here’s the wildcard element that makes this pick even more intriguing: Bain Jr. has the size and power to kick inside alongside Dexter Lawrence on obvious passing downs. At 270 pounds with his hand usage and leverage, he could absolutely rush from the interior and create mismatches against guards who aren’t prepared for that kind of athleticism.
That’s how you maximize a player like this. You don’t pigeonhole him as a two-down thumper. You find ways to get him on the field in every situation, and Wilson’s multiple-front approach allows for exactly that kind of creativity.
Wilson emphasized physicality from Day 1 in Tennessee. “From Day 1, you press everything,” he said in his introductory news conference with the Titans a few years ago. That mentality extends beyond the secondary. He wants defenders who can invade space, set a physical tone, and refuse to be moved. Bain Jr. embodies that philosophy on every snap.