Prediction markets and oddsmakers are officially in agreement: Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is the massive favorite to go No. 5 to the New York Giants in this month’s NFL draft.
Kalshi, a prediction market, gives Styles 36% odds to be the No. 5 pick as of April 9. Buckeyes teammate and standout safety Caleb Downs trails him at 17%, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love isn’t far behind at 15%.
DraftKings lists Styles at +175 to go No. 5, ahead of Love (+425) and Downs (+450). Interestingly, although FanDuel ranks Styles as the favorite at +230, Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa is second at +380.
Styles recorded 82 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss, and an interception in 14 games this past season. Previously a safety who later converted to linebacker, Styles earned All-American honors and has spent months as a projected top-10 draft pick.
Don’t be surprised to see the Giants take Sonny Styles at No. 5
As last year’s Shedeur Sanders saga reminded us, nobody knows anything when it comes to the NFL draft. Well, maybe not anything, seeing as the Raiders have all but confirmed they intend to use the No. 1 pick on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Still, the thought of the Giants drafting Styles isn’t exactly new. NFL Media’s Mike Band and The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman are among those who have mocked Styles to the Giants in recent weeks, with an unnamed Big Ten coach telling Feldman that Styles played and looked like he “was created in a lab.”
If drafted at No. 5, Styles would likely compete with Micah McFadden for linebacker snaps alongside veteran Tremaine Edmunds, who signed a three-year, $36 million contract last month.
There have been no credible reports about the Giants considering trading the pick. The only prospect essentially guaranteed to be off the board is Mendoza, which has no direct impact on the Giants because of Jaxson Dart’s presence.
Theoretically speaking, the Giants could trade down if a team is desperate enough to take a chance on Alabama’s Ty Simpson, the presumptive No. 2 quarterback behind Mendoza. However, although Simpson has been floated as a possible first-round prospect, there is no indication that he would go that early.
Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey are widely considered the top candidates for the Jets at No. 2, with the other potentially being a target for the Cardinals (No. 3) or Titans (No. 4). Love has long been rumored as an option for Robert Saleh and the Titans, who need to surround second-year quarterback Cam Ward with playmakers.