Nobody knows exactly what the New York Giants will do when they’re on the clock this April, but a few options are starting to stand out.
Almost all the mock drafts have the G-Men taking one of three players with the fifth pick: Utah's Spencer Fano (offensive tackle), Ohio State's Carnell Tate (wide receiver), or Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson (wide receiver). Every now and then, you'll see an Arvell Reese (Ohio State pass-rusher), but for the most part, that's about as creative as they get.
Related: John Harbaugh leaves no doubt about Jaxson Dart in 7-round mock draft
That changed Friday, when Ryan Roberts and Joe DeLeone of A to Z Sports released their three-round mock draft. In a pretty shocking move, DeLeone sees the G-Men addressing their dismal middle linebacker play with OSU's Sonny Styles, in a move that's bound to confuse Giants fans everywhere.
Not only is Styles not a consensus top-five pick, but linebackers very rarely go that early in the draft anymore.
Giants stun mock draft world with shocking Sonny Styles pick at No. 5
Perhaps this mock is a reminder that assuming what the Giants will do on draft night is never a smart practice -- almost everyone is assuming Big Blue is going offense to help out its franchise quarterback, Jaxson Dart, with a lineman or wideout, but assuming is a dangerous game.
DeLeone cites the new Harbaugh regime as the reason for the switch-up:
"The Giants’ run defense was abysmal last season, and they need to do whatever they can to improve it. Adding a freakish athlete at linebacker is how they can accomplish that, as Styles has rare tools to be an All-Pro. While Giants fans may yell about the franchise never drafting linebackers early, straying from that ideology under John Harbaugh is how they get back on track."
He's not wrong. New York's run defense was trash last year. And they need to address it this offseason. But the value here doesn't seem worth the price. It feels more like injuries, poor effort, terrible gap discipline, and dreadful coaching were the main contributors to the mess than not having a first-round linebacker on the roster.
I'm not overly convinced that selecting a middle linebacker fifth overall will solve those problems. A competent coaching staff should clear a lot of that up on its own.
I can’t help but draw comparisons to Isaiah Simmons, who just flamed out with the Giants last year. Coming out of Clemson, he was seen as a can’t-miss, All-Pro-caliber prospect. But despite his freakish athleticism and size, it never translated at the next level. Instead, he became one of the league’s biggest what-ifs and cautionary tales for teams betting on traits over fit.
Styles, like Simmons, has a rare blend of stature and athleticism -- the two are nearly identical in size. Similarly, he also played safety before converting to linebacker. Giants fans won't stop complaining about not drafting a linebacker early, but they'll complain so much more if they pass up drafting a Tyson or Tate for Styles (who's by all means a great player).
That’s not to say the 21-year-old won’t carve out a successful career -- no two NFL journeys are the same. But with glaring needs on the offensive line and at the skill positions, drafting an athletic linebacker feels more like a luxury pick. And luxury picks aren’t something a 4-13 team like the Giants can afford right now.
There’s a world where the Giants take Styles at No. 5 and he turns into the next Roquan Smith -- and that’d be dope. But in this universe, the priority should be giving Dart every tool he needs to succeed, especially with a top-five pick.