Daniel Jeremiah poured cold water on the dream of a Sonny Styles-Caleb Downs NFL reunion

Between Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Carnell Tate, and Caleb Downs, there are expected to be four Ohio State Buckeyes off the board in the top 10 picks of Thursday night’s NFL Draft. For a while, the expectation has been that at No. 5, the New York Giants would be deciding between two of them, Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs. 

So, once the Giants swung a blockbuster trade sending Dexter Lawrence to Cleveland for the No. 10 overall pick, it birthed the idea of a potential reunion between the two defensive stars with New York grabbing Styles at No. 5 and Downs and No. 10. While it’s still a possibility, and an enticing one for Ohio State fans who loved watched the duo patrol the middle of the field that past two seasons, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah poured cold water over the idea. 

"I was told they were not going to take Styles. That was one that I was told was not their guy," Jeremiah told Todd McShay and Ryen Russillo on Monday’s episode of the Ryen Russillo podcast. 

Sonny Styles may not be in play for the Giants at No. 5

Styles has often been presented as a viable option at No. 4 overall to the Tennessee Titans, who hired Robert Saleh as their head coach this offseason. Saleh rose to acclaim as the defensive coordinator in San Francisco, helping to develop Fred Warner at inside linebacker at the start of his career. While it’s lofty, Styles has earned comparisons to Warner through the draft process. 

The floor for Styles, though, has widely been viewed as No. 5 overall with the John Harbaugh-led Giants. If Jeremiah’s intel is correct, that’s not the case. Jeremiah sees No. 7 as the spot for Styles, with the Washington Commanders likely deciding between Styles and Downs as the new leader of their defense. 

Downs may still be on the board and in play for New York at No. 10, but with two bites at the apple in the top 10, Jeremiah is expecting the Giants to add one player on each side of the ball. Yet, even with Carnell Tate expected to be the No. 1 wide receiver in the class, he still doesn’t see a pair of Buckeyes heading to the same place. 

There is serious smoke connecting the Giants to Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. Despite his injury concerns, Jeremiah told Russillo and McShay that he wouldn’t be surprised if New York took Tyson at No. 5, expecting a defensive player to fall to them at No. 10. 

There’s no obvious connection between Columbus and New York, and with a Harbaugh coaching the Giants, it could be for the best that two Buckeyes aren’t the selections. Still, Styles and Downs were a unique pairing at the heart of Ohio State’s defense, and it would be fun to watch it continue to grow at the next level.

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