Sonny Styles’ Combine Leap Reorders Draft Momentum — Giants Now Listed as Serious Contenders

Why this matters now: sonny styles’ top measurables at the NFL Combine and a public interview cadence have shifted how teams and evaluators rank him, concentrating draft momentum around a few premium picks including the NY Giants’ No. 5 selection. That shift immediately affects which defensive prospects stay under consideration and who climbs or falls as draft boards tighten ahead of April’s draft.

Market movement: why Sonny Styles’ performance changed the draft conversation

Sonny Styles’ combine showing injected measurable proof behind scouting talk — and that quantitative leap has practical effects. Teams with early picks that aren’t prioritizing a quarterback now face a clearer choice between established names and a suddenly higher-ranked off-ball linebacker who pairs size with elite testing numbers. Here’s the part that matters: front offices weighing scheme fit can now pair the tape with the metrics, which pushes Styles higher on some boards and compresses the range of contenders for top-five slots.

Sonny Styles: combine marks, interviews and self-scouting

The Ohio State linebacker posted a 4. 46 40-yard dash and a 43. 50-inch vertical jump at the combine, numbers that ranked No. 1 among linebackers in this draft class. He spoke with reporters early on Wednesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and also interviewed with Dan Morgan. Styles described specific areas he wants to improve — zone coverage, ball disruption and maintaining pad level — while arguing he’s an intelligent player who can diagnose and call plays.

Draft-board dynamics around the NY Giants, college teammates and coaching fit

Renewed optimism in New York follows the hiring of John Harbaugh, the former Baltimore Ravens head coach and one-time Super Bowl winner, and the franchise’s premium draft position, including the fifth overall pick. The Giants enter April with the option to take the best available player because they don’t feel they need a quarterback. Mock drafts have often linked teammate Carnell Tate to that No. 5 pick, while Caleb Downs has seen a surge of buzz. A new development places Styles — a teammate of both Tate and Downs at Ohio State — into serious consideration for that selection. Jordan Raanan has highlighted Styles as a top pick possibility and relayed that several people who worked under John Harbaugh see the pairing as a “perfect” fit.

What the tape and background add to the measurable spike

Styles is a three-year starter who earned first-time All-American honors in 2025 and was a key part of what the context calls Ohio State’s elite defense this past season. His college resume includes a season stat line of 83 tackles, 1. 0 sack, a forced fumble, an interception and three passes defensed. He began his college career at safety, a start that evaluators say helped his transition to off-ball linebacker, and his experience calling plays for a national championship-winning Buckeyes team is repeatedly cited when judging his football IQ.

• 4. 46 40-yard dash — top among linebackers in the class
• 43. 50-inch vertical — top among linebackers in the class
• 2025: first-time All-American; three-year starter for Ohio State
• 2025 season stats: 83 tackles, 1. 0 sack, forced fumble, interception, three passes defensed
• Physical frame listed in the context as 6-5, 243 pounds

It’s easy to overlook, but his pre-linebacker experience and play-calling role add a layer of readiness that complements the new testing data.

Upgrade areas, coaching notes and roster adaptability

Styles openly identified zone coverage, pad level and ball disruption as areas he wants to improve — points he emphasized during combine interviews. His linebackers coach at Ohio State, James Laurinaitis, who played eight years in the NFL, texted Styles when he switched from safety to linebacker saying he would be a first-round linebacker. That endorsement sits alongside evaluations that list his strengths as diagnosing plays, shedding blockers and near-perfect tackling form. He projects as a player who can align at Mike, Will or Sam while also calling plays for the defense.

Key takeaways:

• Sonny Styles’ combine numbers have elevated his draft stock and concentrated interest around top-five picks.
• His versatility (safety-to-linebacker background, play-caller) makes him attractive to teams seeking a multi-role off-ball linebacker.
• NY Giants’ circumstances — a high pick at No. 5 and a coach with a preference for certain defensive profiles — create a plausible path to them selecting Styles.
• Improvement in zone play and ball disruption will be central to converting athletic upside into immediate NFL impact.

The real question now is how teams that value scheme fit weight these combine marks against positional nuance; confirmation will come from pre-draft visits and private workouts that occur between now and April. Recent commentary has framed Styles as a first-round lock who won’t make it out of round one, but final placement remains tied to how clubs prioritize fit versus raw athleticism.

Writer’s aside: What’s easy to miss is how rare it is for a player to pair elite measurable testing with a background in safety and a play-calling role — that combination often accelerates early-career snaps, though it also raises immediate expectation for coverage growth.