The New York Giants are projected to bypass Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and select Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, per a mock draft published Sunday by Sporting News. The pick reflects a real gap: New York’s linebacker corps ranked in the bottom third of the league in linebacker-generated EPA over the past three seasons, a deficiency that free-agency additions only partially closed.
Draft analyst Tony Pauline issued the forecast, slotting Styles to New York in his latest full-round mock. The projection cuts to the heart of a recurring tension in Giants draft strategy: the pull of offensive skill players versus the structural demands of a defense that has struggled at the second level.
Why the New York Giants Are Passing on Jeremiyah Love
New York does not carry a pressing need at running back. The linebacker corps presents a more urgent gap — one that free-agent signings this offseason only partially addressed, per Pauline’s assessment.
Love generated real buzz throughout the pre-draft process. His connection to the Giants became a persistent storyline in mock draft cycles. Breaking down positional value in the modern NFL, though, the calculus is hard to dismiss: running backs drafted in the top five carry enormous cap implications relative to their leverage in a pass-first league. General manager Joe Schoen has shown a preference for roster construction that prizes positional value, and a linebacker who can function as a three-down chess piece fits that framework more cleanly than a premium back.
Love is a genuinely special prospect — fluid in space, capable as a receiver out of the backfield — but the Giants’ depth chart at running back does not present the same void that their linebacker corps does. That distinction appears to be driving Pauline’s projection.
Sonny Styles: What the Ohio State Linebacker Brings to Big Blue
Sonny Styles ranks among the most complete defenders in the 2026 draft class. Pauline describes him as a player who “can really do it all on the football field,” a characterization that maps onto the Giants’ need for a linebacker who can handle both run fits and coverage assignments against spread-oriented offenses.
At Ohio State, Styles showed lateral agility to mirror tight ends in zone coverage. He also demonstrated closing speed to stack and shed blockers in the run game. His football IQ — specifically his ability to process pre-snap motion and adjust gap responsibility without hesitation — is what separates him from other linebackers near the top of the board.
New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen runs a system that demands a lot from linebackers, particularly in terms of communication at the second level and the ability to rotate into coverage against 12 and 13 personnel groupings. A player like Styles, who can absorb a complex playbook and execute it at speed, would lift the unit’s ceiling in ways a free-agent signing cannot match on the same timeline.
One counterargument deserves attention. The Giants have used early picks on defense in recent drafts, and some analysts argue the offense — specifically the wide receiver corps and offensive line depth — needs premium draft capital more urgently. Schoen’s front office has to weigh immediate defensive improvement against the longer arc of building around quarterback Daniel Jones or his eventual successor. The case for Love is not frivolous.
Giants Draft Strategy: Linebacker Depth Still a Concern
New York’s linebacker situation entering the 2026 draft reflects the limits of free agency as a repair mechanism. The Giants added at the position this offseason, but Pauline’s mock explicitly notes those signings were insufficient to close the gap. That judgment — that free agency moved the needle but did not solve the problem — is the structural argument underpinning the Styles projection.
A first-round linebacker has not appeared on the New York Giants roster since the front office began its offensive reconstruction under Schoen. The drought is notable. Styles represents a rare chance to address it with a top-tier prospect available at a slot where New York is picking.
Salary cap considerations also favor the selection. A rookie fifth-year option contract for a linebacker costs a fraction of what a veteran free agent commands on the open market. Draft research consistently shows that defensive players taken in the top ten outperform their cap hits by a wider margin than comparable free-agent signings over a four-year window — a data point that makes the Styles projection financially coherent as well as schematically sound.
Key Developments in the Giants’ Pre-Draft Process
- Pauline notes that Love “receives consideration” at the fifth pick before ultimately projecting Styles to New York, indicating the Notre Dame back is a genuine internal option.
- Styles is described as “one of the very best players in this year’s draft” — language suggesting his value transcends positional need and supports a best-available selection argument.
- Pauline’s caveat that “the draft is anything but certain to play out like this” flags the volatility at No. 5, where teams targeting quarterbacks or pass rushers could force New York into an unexpected decision.
- The Sporting News projection was published April 5, 2026, placing it among the final major mock drafts before the event, when front-office decisions are typically locked in.
What Happens Next for the Giants at No. 5?
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen enters the final pre-draft stretch facing a decision that will define the near-term trajectory of the franchise’s defensive scheme. If Styles is available at five and New York pulls the trigger, they add a linebacker who can quarterback the second level the way a point guard directs a half-court offense — a player Bowen’s system has lacked since the coaching staff arrived. The fit is real, not manufactured.
The fifth overall pick historically attracts trade interest from clubs seeking to move up for a specific target. New York’s front office brass will need to decide whether to stay put and take the best available defender or entertain offers that could net additional capital to address the offensive line and receiver depth at the same time. Based on available data, Pauline’s projection favors the former — Styles in blue and white, not Love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do the New York Giants pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The New York Giants hold the fifth overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. That slot places them inside the top five for the first time in several years, giving the front office access to the deepest tier of elite prospects in the class.
Who is Sonny Styles and why do the Giants want him?
Sonny Styles is an Ohio State linebacker projected as one of the top defensive prospects in the 2026 class. Draft analyst Tony Pauline characterizes him as a player who “can really do it all on the football field”, with the coverage versatility and run-stopping instincts to start immediately in a demanding NFL scheme like the one coordinator Shane Bowen operates in New York.
Why are the Giants not drafting Jeremiyah Love?
Pauline’s mock draft argues that New York’s running back depth chart does not present the same urgent need as the linebacker corps. Love is a Notre Dame prospect with strong receiving ability out of the backfield, but the Giants’ positional priorities — and Schoen’s documented preference for high-leverage roster construction — point toward a defender at No. 5.
Could the Giants trade out of the fifth pick instead of selecting Styles?
Trade scenarios at No. 5 are plausible. Teams targeting a specific quarterback or edge rusher sometimes move up aggressively in the top five, which could give New York a package of additional picks to address offensive line depth and receiver needs simultaneously. Pauline’s mock projects the Giants staying put, but he acknowledges the draft outcome is far from certain.
