If the New York Giants stay at No. 5 in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, their choices likely center on running back Jeremiyah Love, safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Sonny Styles, and perhaps wide receiver Carnell Tate. In his most recent mock draft, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network has given Giants Styles.
Jeremiah wrote simply this:
Styles would be a monster playing behind the Giants’ dynamic front line.
In Jeremiah’s scenario, Love went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4. In the same scenario this week, faced with the same choice, ESPN’s Mel Kiper this week chose Downs for the Giants. You can read Chris’s take on Kiper’s choice here.
Jeremiah ranked Styles No. 3 on his most recent top 50 prospects big board. He wrote:
Styles is a tall, long and rangy linebacker prospect. He made a smooth transition from safety to linebacker during his college career and put on an epic display at the NFL Scouting Combine. In the run game, he’s quick to key, read and fill to make tackles. He uses his length to press off blocks and has outstanding lateral range to pick up production on the perimeter. He’s a firm, reliable tackler with stopping power on contact. Styles is outstanding in coverage. He can carry slot receivers down the seam and smoothly mirrors tight ends all over the field. He’s an explosive blitzer and will run over running backs who try to block him in pass pro. Styles’ performance in the Big Ten title game against Indiana answered any questions about his game, as he was the best defender on the field in that matchup. He reminds me of Fred Warner as a player. It’s hard to find prospects with Styles’ combination of speed, athleticism and instincts.
Valentine’s View
I have seen a fair amount of folks around Big Blue View trying to make the case that Styles is not a good enough player to be considered at No. 5. I have no idea what those of you who are knocking Styles are looking at.
If you are looking for what used to be called a “thumper” at linebacker, few of those players exist anymore. The linebacker position isn’t Ray Nitchske or Dick Butkus anymore. Not even Harry Carson or Ray Lewis. It is smaller. It is faster. It is more versatile.
Sports Info Solutions charted Styles with two (TWO!) blown or missed tackles in all of the 2025 season for Ohio State. He may not punish ballcarriers, but he always gets them to the ground.
Styles is a converted safety who is still learning the linebacker position, and still gaining size and strength. Here is the scouting report from The Ringer:
Rangy and versatile linebacker who brings sideline-to-sideline speed and incredible reliability as a tackler.
Styles is an ascending playmaker with a rare combination of athleticism, length, and range at the linebacker position. A former safety who made the switch to linebacker over the past two seasons, he’s tall with an angular, tapered build, and he effortlessly covers ground at the second level. Styles showcases good vision to sort through the trash on run plays and still keep his eyes on the ball. He brings effortless lateral agility to strafe from gap to gap and arrive at the ballcarrier to make a stop. His closing speed stands out; he drives on the ball decisively to deliver a hit and corral the runner. He’s an incredibly reliable tackler: He missed just two tackles in 2025, per PFF, while racking up 47 stops. Styles glides around in man coverage and can put himself into position to play the ball in zone. He sees routes developing and keeps his head on a swivel to adjust his drop. He’s a blur as a blitzer, flying downhill to shoot through the line. He tallied nine sacks in his college career.
There are times when Styles struggles to disengage from blocks and allows himself to get sealed away from the play. He’s thin-framed and lacks the sand in his pants to defeat blocks and bring high-end stopping power. He will occasionally take the cheese on a play fake and find himself chasing a decoy. There were times when his intensity waxed and waned while chasing down a play or pursuing from the backside; he may need to turn up the aggressiveness at the next level.
Here is what I wrote in my notes from the games that I watched:
– Very comfortable, smooth in zone drops as a former safety
– Comes downhill aggressively vs. run
– Not a big hitter, but does not miss tackles
– Can run with big slot WRs or TEs, and change direction in the open field … can carry down the seam
– Willing to take on blocks rather than run around them
– Probably needs to get stronger, not surprising as a converted safety
– Can and does stack and shed, but sometimes gets stalemated (strength??)
– Comfortable communicating and aligning teammates … LEADERSHIP
– Shows excellent instincts for where the ball is going to be
– Has ball skills
– Could be used as a spy
I had Trevor Sikkema, highly-regarded draft analyst for Pro Football Focus, on my podcast after the Combine. Here is what he said about Styles:
“I thought about Styles in this regard even before his crazy Combine performance. Styles’ game against Indiana this past year is the best single game that I’ve seen from any prospect of any position in this class. The way that he was able to read and react to the ball, his anticipation before the ball was even snapped, and then his athletic ability to go hunt the football and be a difference-maker at the line of scrimmage when ball carriers were reached in the line. I mean, that’s difference-making stuff. Elite coverage grade, elite run defense grade this past year for him. Hadn’t missed a tackle all year until that Miami game when I think he maybe had one or two missed tackles, but 2 percent missed tackle rate this past season, which is unbelievable.”
Sikkema also said the fifth overall pick might be the floor for Styles in the upcoming draft.
A cut up of the Indiana game Sikkema referenced is below.
Here is more praise of Styles. This from Chris Pflum’s prospect profile:
Styles is already an excellent prospect and should be an impact player as a rookie, and he has the upside to grow into an All-Pro player.
He has an elite athletic profile for a modern NFL linebacker with one of the most rare size/speed/agility combinations we’ve ever seen. He has the physicality and strength to be a play-side run defender, the agility and speed to pursue from the back side, as well as the fluidity and experience (as a former safety) to be an effective coverage linebacker. And even though he wasn’t often used as a pass rusher, he has the upside to be a disruptive blitzer and perhaps even play on the edge (a bit) thanks to his length, speed, and strength.
Styles shouldn’t have to wait long at all to hear his name called on draft night.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes
Final word: A top 10 prospect
Honestly, I don’t want to hear anymore about what Styles can’t do. He is a phenomenal player. The only possible argument you can make for not selecting him at No. 5 is positional value. Considering the other potential choices, that may not even hold water.
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