INDIANAPOLIS -- For Oregon pass rush prospect Kayvon Thibodeaux, football is a cerebral game. He sees pressuring the quarterback like playing chess.
Thibodeaux, who is a potential No. 1 overall pick in this NFL Draft, began playing chess at a young age. He watched his uncles play the board game, honed his craft with online chess, and it became a passion.
Chess inspired Thibodeaux to become a better pass rusher.
“Chess is life, and chess is football,” Thibodeaux said Friday at the NFL Combine. “When you talk about doing your first move, your first move is going to set up your second move. Then you’re thinking about your third move ahead. So, when we talk about a pass rush, I’m going to hit you with speed first. I’ll always hit you with speed, speed, speed. And then that’s going to set up my power moves. And then my power moves are going to set up my counter.
“I’m very aggressive. You have to put people in pressure moments so that you get what you want out of situations. For me, I’m putting my queen out there first, and then I’m making you make decisions, because a lot of people make bad decisions when they’re under pressure. Just like the quarterback.”
The 21-year-old Thibodeaux produced 19 sacks over three seasons at Oregon. A prized prospect out of Oaks Christian School in Los Angeles, he emerged as a game-wrecking force in the Pac-12 before declaring for the NFL Draft in December.
In a draft class that includes standout pass rushers like Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan), George Karlaftis (Purdue) and David Ojabo (Michigan), Thibodeaux might be the very best.
Thibodeaux stands at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds, modeling his game after Rams star pass rusher Von Miller. He studied a YouTube video that highlighted each of Miller’s first 100 sacks in the league and found himself taking elements of those rushes to his own game.
“Seeing how he got off the ball, seeing his legs, seeing his footwork, seeing how he did it, I mean, it helped me tremendously. I can take it right off the film and I can take it right to the field.
“I’m not the biggest guy, I’m not the strongest guy and I’m not the fastest guy. Just like Von Miller, you have to figure out what’s going to give you that edge. My mind is what gives me that edge.
“I’m a chess player, so I’m thinking moves ahead.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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