The New York Giants are making no effort to hide their interest in Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. A candid moment caught on camera at Ohio State’s Pro Day in Columbus on Wednesday may have just turned up the draft rumor mill to full volume.
Video circulating on social media showed head coach John Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, and former Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia sharing a laugh with Styles on the sideline following the workout.
The viral moment is sure to fuel speculation heading into the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
Matt Patricia, Jon Harbaugh and Sonny Styles all sharing a laugh at Pro Day.
The Giants pick fifth… pic.twitter.com/6ilKWg7h6n
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) March 25, 2026
The Giants Sent Everyone
General manager Joe Schoen, Harbaugh, and Wilson were among the notable front-office figures on hand in Columbus.
Beyond Styles, the Giants clearly had multiple prospects on their radar.
Harbaugh and staff were also in the building for linebacker Arvell Reese, safety Caleb Downs, and wide receiver Carnell Tate.
Currently, Styles has the best odds to be selected with the No. 5 overall pick, according to the oddsmakers.
“Coach Harbaugh Was Great”
Wednesday’s exchange was hardly a first introduction.
At the NFL Combine last month, Styles made clear the Giants left a lasting impression. “That meeting was awesome,” he said. “Coach [John] Harbaugh was great; coach [Frank] Bush was great.”
According to sources who spoke with NorthJersey.com and The Record, New York came away from that interview extremely impressed. As SNY’s Connor Hughes noted, “the worst kept secret at the Combine was how much the Giants love Styles.”
Styles has also spoken to what he’d bring schematically. “I think the way I can improve the run defense is just being in the middle,” he said. “I thought I showed physical games on film, physical strike. I thought I showed some sure tackling this past year.”
For Harbaugh, that pitch lands perfectly.
During his 18 years in Baltimore, his defenses were built around elite linebacker play — Ray Lewis, C.J. Mosley, Roquan Smith.
At the Combine, he made the schematic case plainly: “You can’t stop the run without an inside linebacker making tackles in the middle. You can’t do it.”
Styles Is A Generational Athlete
The numbers Styles posted at the Combine were historic. A 4.46-second 40-yard dash, a 43.5-inch vertical, and an 11-foot-2 broad jump at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds produced a Relative Athletic Score of 9.99 out of 10, drawing comparisons to Calvin Johnson. He moved up to as high as No. 4 overall in some post-Combine mock drafts.
But the coverage concerns are real. Styles can lose his leverage on running backs and leans too heavily on athleticism to compensate. He triggers well downhill but can struggle running the pole in zone, and has a tendency to bite on misdirection.
Most of it traces back to inexperience. He only converted from safety to linebacker two seasons ago and still has a lot of growing to do at the position.
Then there’s positional value.
There’s a world where Styles is the best non-quarterback in this class but some teams will hesitate to spend top-five capital at inside linebacker when pass-rushers and offensive tackles are also available.
A Need the Giants Can’t Ignore
That hesitation may not apply in New York.
The Giants swapped Bobby Okereke for Tremaine Edmunds this offseason, and their projected duo of Edmunds alongside Micah McFadden projects as league-average at best.
With less than a month until draft night in Pittsburgh, the laughs shared between Harbaugh and Styles in Columbus may be less a flirtation and more a formality.
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