Ian O'Connor@Ian_OConnor
For the 5th pick I'm still putting my $20 on Sonny Styles over Caleb Downs to the Giants. John Harbaugh: "If they run the ball for 4, 5 yards, that is the end of the world. That's a disaster. If it breaks out past that, we can't even breathe...We want the run stopped...
"We want the run stoned."
Harbaugh wants a big, physical, all-weather defense that mirrors the championship Giants teams of the past. Styles is 5 inches taller & 40 pounds heavier than the safety, Downs. He's going to look awfully good walking off that bus and then staring across the line at the QB. If the Titans don't take Jeremiyah Love, it gets very interesting. But first and foremost, what's worked for the Giants when they've won Super Bowls is that nasty defense...followed by a strong offensive line....followed by opportunistic QBs who weren't superstars but who could play like a superstar when it mattered most (Simms, Eli).
Priority No. 1 for Harbaugh is stopping the run, as he made clear again at the league meetings. And Styles-an elite athlete who doesn't miss tackles-meets that objective more than any candidate for pick No. 5. Yeah, the Giants signed Tremaine Edmunds for 3 years. But Harbaugh wants to coach the NYG for at least 10 years. Downs would be a great pick too and JH loves his gifted, versatile safeties. Styles just makes a bit more sense.
