The New York Giants are forced to make a big financial decision that will also play a significant role in their draft decisions this April. As things stand, the Giants are facing a major salary cap problem, with just $6.9 million in available cap space. Now that the franchise has brought in John Harbaugh as the new head coach, the New York front office is expected to release a key defensive player, who saw a decline in performance over the 2025 season.

“The expectation is the Giants will cut inside linebacker Bobby Okereke, which will create $9 million in cap savings,” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported.

As per Duggan, the Big Blue will most likely move on from Okereke, who came to the Big Apple after signing a four-year, $40 million deal in 2023. The 29-year-old lived up to this paycheck in his first season as a Giant, recording 105 tackles, 20 pressures, and four forced fumbles without missing a snap. However, since then, Okereke has failed to perform at that level, as he had 103 tackles with a 13% missed tackle rate.

He allowed 407 yards in coverage with two touchdowns, two interceptions, and four pass breakups, but his PFF tackling grade plummeted to 50.2, while his run defense had a 45.5 grade, ranking him among the worst starters at the position. With this decline and his $14.46 million cap hit this year, releasing Okereke would save the franchise $9 million and allow them to use the draft to select a linebacker who fits John Harbaugh’s coaching style.

“Replacing Okereke with a stud middle linebacker will become a top priority,” Dan Duggan reported. “The Ravens consistently invested heavily at middle linebacker, starting with Ray Lewis and continuing with CJ Mosley (a 2014 first-round pick), Patrick Queen (a 2020 first-round pick), and Roquan Smith (a 2022 trade and lucrative extension).”

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With New York’s draft focus shifting to the linebacker position, a Giants insider has revealed which player the franchise is eyeing to select with its fifth overall pick.

Ohio State star impresses Giants with standout Combine performance

The New York Giants have reportedly found their NFL Draft favorite in Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, who delivered one of the most impressive Combine performances in Indianapolis. Styles ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash (with an elite 1.56-second 10-yard split), the fastest among this year’s edge and linebacker groups.

He also recorded a stunning vertical jump of 43 1/2 inches along with a broad jump of 11 feet, 3 inches. After this incredible effort, NorthJersey.com Insider Art Stapleton revealed that Styles really “impressed” the New York front office.

“Sources tell NorthJersey.com and The Record that the Ohio State star met with the Giants on Tuesday night and impressed,” Stapleton reported.

As has been evident throughout his coaching journey, John Harbaugh has enjoyed having physical linebackers leading his defense, and hence, Sonny Styles emerges as the perfect pick for the Giants. At 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, Styles had a stellar 2.2% missed tackle rate this season, as he didn’t miss a tackle until the last game.

Similarly, his average depth of tackle was just 1.9 yards downfield, highlighting his trigger speed and ability to analyze plays quickly. This quality also led Styles to be the defensive play caller and showcase game intelligence, communication, and leadership skills.

With this all-around package, Harbaugh may soon have found his next generational linebacker, who could expedite the Giants’ rebuild over the coming years.