The 2026 Draft is right around the corner, and it’s anyone’s guess as to which way the New York Giants are leaning when they’re on the clock at five. Whichever prospect they end up selecting, they must get it right. This might be Joe Schoen’s most important draft yet.
Fortunately, he’ll have some help, with John Harbaugh figuring to have a substantial role in the draft process, too. And that might be best-case scenario for Schoen, who’ll simultaneously be working through a Dexter Lawrence-sized trade request.
If Harby is heavily involved, there are a couple of names that stick out as obvious choices, with one former Ohio State Buckeye in particular standing out. Sonny Styles could very well be Big Blue’s next defensive cornerstone, playing the green-dot linebacker role Harbaugh has had so much success with in the past. What makes Styles an even better fit is that if they take him, they might also steal away the Commanders’ top target, which would be icing on the cake. Dean Jones of Riggo’s Rag has the defensive unicorn as their top choice on his draft board:
"The Commanders may have signed Leo Chenal in free agency to go along with Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee in the linebacker room, but there is a growing sense that Sonny Styles is firmly on the shortlist.
With Bobby Wagner unlikely to return, this would be the best long-term upgrade imaginable."
And for the Giants, it would be the best short-term (with long-term potential) in-your-face, Commies fallout imaginable.
Giants could steal Sonny Styles right from Commanders at No. 5
The last thing the Big Blue Crew needs is for the Commanders to be relevant again. Aside from that surprise blip in 2024 when they went 12-5 and made the NFC Championship Game, they’ve been an otherworldly below-average football team.
It'd be nice if it stayed that way.
Styles is the best linebacker in the class by a mile. It’s not all that surprising he’s been compared to Fred Warner. He’s arguably one of the most athletic linebacker prospects of all time, and he’s also just a really good linebacker -- he started as a safety before converting, which makes sense for his 6-foot-5, 243-pound frame.
Harby's fingerprints would be all over a pick like this, too. The green-dot linebacker has always been a big part of his defense -- think Ray Lewis, C.J. Mosley, Patrick Queen, and Roquan Smith. It just so happens that the G-Men have been looking for a star off-ball linebacker for what feels like forever.
At No. 5, the Giants are sitting in a spot where they can fix their run defense and make things miserable on a division rival at the same time. If he’s there, this feels like one of those picks that makes too much sense to overthink.
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