Giants Mock Draft Round Up 3.0- A Dynamic Linebacker

We are just about a month away from the draft. There are still some stragglers in free agency, but for the most part, teams have made the moves they want to make. Now everyone has a good idea of what their needs will be in the draft. For the Giants, despite a semi-busy free agency, they still have a lot of ways they can go.

The good thing about having a lot of needs is that it means you don't have to reach for a need. Most positions, with a few exceptions, will fill a need. At pick number 5, the Giants can just go with whoever they think will be the best player for them.

Who will that be? Let's check out who the draft experts around the league think the Giants will take at pick 5.

"Styles would be a monster playing behind the Giants' dynamic front line."

Styles did a lot of good for his draft stock at the NFL combine. His 43 1/2 inch vertical is the best for an LB in 2 decades. He ran 4.46 40, to go woith a 11 foot 2 Broad Jump. Add in the fact that he is 6ft5 and 244 pounds, and it is easy to see why people are excited about him. It is rare to see off-ball linebackers go this high, especially when the College production is just ok, but Style has a chance to be a beast.

"The Giants have some options at safety -- including newly signed Jason Pinnock and Ar'Darius Washington -- but Downs is on another level. He's a complete football player, and New York should have no hesitation in taking him here."

Safety is another position you don't often see going this high. But we know how much John Harbaugh values safeties from his time with the Ravens. Everyone who covers the draft says Downs is special. When you have the 5th overall pick, you want to come away with someone who is a game-changer. If Downs is that guy, you take him.

"For much of the season and pre-draft process, I felt like I had to convince doubters of why Styles deserved to be a top-10 pick. After his workout in Indianapolis, the skeptics have disappeared. But it wasn’t just what Styles did on the field, which prompted a standing ovation when he walked into one team’s interview room. His interviews with NFL teams were “phenomenal,” according to a team source."

Styles now has a ton of National Hype heading into April. When a player has the types of physical traits he has, and they are a "phenomenal" person, it is hard to pass up on that. Pairing a great inside Linebacker with the Giants' dangerous pass rush is a recipe for success.

"I went back and forth between Ohio State teammates Styles and Caleb Downs here, as both make sense to me. Styles is the more physically gifted of the two and could be a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate at Will linebacker."

Another vote for Sonny Styles. It sounds like a consensus is starting to form.

"Tate would be the perfect complement to Nabers given his precise route running and workmanlike ability to win catches in traffic. Tate's tape reminds me of Justin Jefferson at LSU, and he enters the league with a similar body type and skill set."

Passing up on a chance at an elite WR room for Jaxson Dart will be tough. If they want Dart to be successful, they need to build up the team around him the right way. What better way is there than giving him another great WR to target?

"Given his success with All-Pro safeties (Ed Reed and Kyle Hamilton) in the lineup, John Harbaugh could push for a multi-faceted defensive playmaker to fortify a unit that disappointed in 2025. Downs' IQ, communication skills and playmaking potential could significantly boost a Giants defense that doesn't lack talent."

Downs really does feel like the most John Harbaugh-style pick. The Giants have a dangerous pass rush. But they now need a secondary to go with it. And Harbaugh has been very adept at building up secondaries throughout his coaching career, even before he became a head coach.