Why isn't Kayvon Thibodeaux a member of the New Orleans Saints? Trade talks with the New York Giants went on for months, but when the 2026 NFL Draft came around and real deadlines emerged, neither side was able to reach across the table and shake hands on a deal. New Orleans was a team known for wanting another pass rusher in the rotation behind Chase Young and Carl Granderson (and with or without Cameron Jordan in the mix). The Giants were suddenly a team with an embarrassment of riches at the position after drafting Arvell Reese, who joined a depth chart already crowded by Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Abdul Carter. It looked like an opportunity for both teams to get what they wanted.

So what happened? The Athletic's Dan Duggan shared some insight to how those talks broke down:

"The Saints were the team most interested in trading for Thibodeaux, however, according to a league source. The problem was the sides weren’t close on potential compensation. The Saints’ best offer is believed to have been a fourth-round pick (No. 132), while the Giants were seeking a second-round pick — the Saints had the 42nd selection.

"The Saints moved on, instead sending a fifth-round pick to the Raiders for defensive end Tyree Wilson and a seventh-round pick. The seventh pick in the 2023 draft, Wilson has 12 sacks in three seasons. Wilson is due $4.2 million in the final year of his rookie contract, compared to Thibodeaux, whose fifth-year option salary is $14.8 million."

So the teams weren't willing to compromise on a third rounder; for the Saints, that meant the No. 73 overall pick. Even that may have been too rich, but adding Thibodeaux would have been nice. He's on the final year of his contract and, as Duggan pointed out, he could command an impressive salary in free agency next offseason with a big year. Even second-tier pass rushers are commanding double digits. If he had been a one-year rental before leaving on a lucrative contract, the best compensatory pick the Saints could have hoped for is a third rounder in 2028. That makes it even tougher to justify giving a second rounder in 2026.

Wilson wasn't the only veteran edge rusher New Orleans added over draft weekend. They also signed Anfernee Jennings from the New England Patriots, padding out a group that now includes Young, Granderson, Wilson, Jennings, and last year's backup Chris Rumph II. Guys like Fadil Diggs, Myles Cole, and undrafted rookie Michael Heldman are also in there. The door isn't shut on Jordan returning, but it's beginning to look like he may have better options out there than New Orleans. He'll have more opportunities to rush the quarterback on a team with a thinner depth chart.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL rumors: Giants, Saints disagreed on Kayvon Thibodeaux trade value