The time is nearing for lists and accolades. Best this, top that. When it comes time for the NFL to announce the winner of the official Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, Kayvon Thibodeaux will not hear his name called.

There is something called the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year Award, a compilation of fan voting. There are six nominees and Thibodeaux is not one of them. Three of the nominees are defensive players: cornerbacks Sauce Gardner (Jets) and Tariq Woolen (Seahawks), and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (Lions). Three of them are offensive players: wide receivers Garrett Wilson (Jets) and Chris Olave (Saints), and running back Kenneth Walker (Seahawks).

Thibodeaux admitted winning rookie honors was “the goal since I got drafted.’’ Initially, he did not seem particularly interested in the list revealed Wednesday.

“I’ve just been focused on the Eagles,’’ Thibodeaux said. “I could care less about accolades at this point. At this point it’s about opportunity and getting another week.’’

It was mentioned to Thibodeaux that none of the six nominated rookies are still playing. Thibodeaux’s team is the only one still alive and kicking. He perked up at that.

“When is the ceremony?’’ he asked. “Whenever the ceremony is, I probably won’t watch it. But the next game, everybody who’s not playing will be watching.’’

The next game for Thibodeaux and the Giants will be Saturday night, when they face the favored Eagles in an NFC divisional playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field. Without the uncommon on-field maturity of a player selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, the Giants would not have been in the postseason field, would not have advanced with a 31-24 wild-card round victory over the Vikings and would not have at least a puncher’s chance to pull off an upset against the NFL’s most dominant team this season.

Thibodeaux will try to do what he and his teammates were unable to achieve in Week 14: Slow down multi-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts, who shredded the Giants’ defense with two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown in a 48-22 rout at MetLife Stadium.

“You got to be disciplined,’’ Thibodeaux said. “Everybody wants to be Superman and everybody wants to do everything, but you can’t do that with a guy who can make you pay. You got to stay true to your assignment.’’

Much is expected of top-five picks, so it is not as if Thibodeaux arrived without great expectations. Based on the numbers, he has been a very good, not greatplayerfor the Giants. In 14 games, Thibodeaux has four sacks, 49 tackles, 13 quarterback hits and six tackles for loss.

Based on watching him game-in and game-out, there is more to Thibodeaux than his stats. He is an extreme hustler, a sideline-to-sideline pursuer of the ball and a far more capable run-stopper than the reputation as a pass-rusher he took into the draft out of Oregon. Actually, as a pure pass-rusher, his physical talent is immense, but his repertoire needs to grow to truly dominate NFL-caliber offensive tackles.

His signature game came in Week 15, a few days after he answered the question, “Do you like playing in prime time?’’ with this: “Prime time likes me.’’ Indeed. Thibodeaux in his first “Sunday Night Football” appearance, wrecked the Commanders in a game the Giants, who had not won in a full month, had to win to keep their playoff hopes afloat.

Thibodeaux had a season-high nine solo tackles, three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and the most impactful play of the night, drilling Taylor Heinicke in the back for the defensive superfecta: a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and touchdown.

Asked what it is about Thibodeaux’s makeup that allows him to rise in big moments, head coach Brian Daboll said: “I just think he works hard, he prepares, he’s got a good mentality. He’s a good player for us.’’

One week prior to that showcase performance, Thibodeaux was on the field for 55 snaps on defense against the Eagles and did not register a single statistic. No tackles — not even an assisted tackle — no sacks, no quarterback hits, no tackles for loss. Thibodeaux He did not play in the regular-season finale, when the Giants reserves competed, but lost to the Eagles’ starters, 22-16.

Gardner, after a lockdown debut season with the Jets, is considered the leader to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Hutchinson had 9.5 sacks and three interceptions for the Lions. Thibodeaux trails those two, but his impact in Year No. 1 with the Giants has been undeniable. The spotlight is not too big for him. He wore an Abraham Lincoln-style top hat in Minneapolis to his first playoff game.

“Especially how I come off, because my personality is so big and because I’m gregarious, it makes people uncertain about my intellect when it comes to football and the scheme of how it works,’’ Thibodeaux said.

There is much that is big around Thibodeaux — the last standout rookie defensive player left standing.