LB Sonny Styles Well Regarded By Cardinals, Giants
Ohio State figures to be well represented early in the first round of April’s draft. Linebacker Sonny Styles is among the prospects who will not need to wait long to hear their name called on Day 1. 
Styles spent his first two seasons as a safety, and he was a productive presence in that capacity for the Buckeyes. Starting with his junior campaign, he transitioned to linebacker. While operating in the front seven, Styles racked up 182 tackles, seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss. That production has led to interest from the Commanders, but he may not be on the board when Washington selects seventh overall.
The Cardinals “love” Styles, SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora writes. Arizona is set to draft third overall. A defensive addition could prove to be highly beneficial, although many have pointed to the offensive line as a unit which the Cardinals should prioritize. La Canfora predicts Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa will be the pick, matching a number of projections in that respect. He adds, however, that if general manager Monti Ossenfort elects to focus on a defensive prospect, Styles will likely be the choice.
Elsewhere in the top five, La Canfora notes new Giants head coach John Harbaugh “has a thing for” Styles. New York has been linked on more than one occasion to fellow Ohio State start Caleb Downs, who is widely expected to be the first safety taken in the draft. More recently, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has emerged as a potential target for the Giants. Both of those prospects could be available when New York is on the clock at No. 5, but adding Styles to the fold would be expected to yield a considerable upgrade to the second level of the team’s defense.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Styles third overall. Positional value will no doubt be a talking point as teams contemplate when to select him, but it comes as no surprise the Cardinals and Giants can be counted among his suitors.
Giants Will Release K Graham Gano
7:20pm: Though the transaction has yet to be officially processed, Gano is indeed set to be released, SNY’s Connor Hughes confirms. That will end his six-year tenure in New York and leave him looking for another kicking job, provided he can stay healthy.
1:56pm: Graham Gano was limited to five games in 2025. The veteran kicker still finds himself on the Giants’ roster at this time, but it remains unlikely he will play again for the team. 
Gano is dealing with the neck injury which cut short his 2025 campaign. He has yet to recover, something which The Athletic’s Dan Duggan recently surmised was the reason a release has not yet taken place in this case. His latest piece on the matter confirms Gano is still recovering from surgery. Duggan maintains a cut will be coming at some point, but likely not until the 16-year veteran is able to pass a physical.
Due to the Injury Protection Benefit, a release followed by Gano not signing anywhere could leave the Giants with a $2.1MM cap charge, as Duggan notes. As such, the team can afford to wait until a return to full health in this case. Cutting Gano, 39 next month, any time before or after June 1 will generate $4.5MM in savings against just $1.25MM in dead money. That added flexibility will help a New York team which is currently near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space.
Gano has spent the past six seasons kicking for the Giants. He has largely remained one of the league’s more accurate kickers when available during that time, but injuries have increasingly become an issue. Gano has only played 23 games since the start of the 2023 campaign. To no surprise, then, the Giants were among the teams which added a kicker in free agency, signing Jason Sanders. The former Dolphin is joined by Ben Sauls on the roster.
In other roster news, Duggan notes recent addition Greg Newsome is in line to handle the starting cornerback spot vacated when Cor’Dale Flott departed on the open market. With Paulson Adebo in position to operate as a perimeter starter once again, that will relegate former first-rounder Deonte Banks to backup duties. Banks was a starter during his first two seasons, but his playing time dropped sharply in 2025. He could be in store for another year spent without a notable defensive role.
RB Jeremiyah Love At Top Of Giants’ List?
Drafting running backs early in the first round is back in style. Ashton Jeanty went at No. 6 last year, and in 2023, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs went eighth and 12th overall, respectively. This year’s draft is expected to add another name to the list. 
The running back most likely to continue this trend in 2026 is Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love. Tennessee has been a popular projection, as both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are in the final years of their contracts. However, as ESPN’s Jordan Reid notes, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi came up in a Chiefs front office that prioritized premium positions with premium draft picks. Taking a running back with the No. 4 pick – especially with needs at more valuable positions – would fly in the face of that philosophy.
If the Titans pass on Love, he will likely wind up in New York, according to Reid’s colleague, Matt Miller. New Giants head coach John Harbaugh may not have such qualms about Love’s position with more of an emphasis on his game-changing talent. He consistently prioritized a strong ground game in Baltimore, though the Ravens never drafted a running back in the first-round during his tenure.
Were New York to choose him, Love would immediately have the best draft pedigree of anyone in the Giants’ running backs room. Veteran Devin Singletary currently holds that honor as a former third-round pick out of FAU. Eric Gray and Tyrone Tracy were fifth-round picks in back-to-back years for New York, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Singletary and Gray are also set to play on the final years of their contracts. Combined with last year’s fourth-round rookie, Cam Skattebo, there are plenty of mouths to feed, but inserting Love into the room immediately would change the outlook for the current players’ roles in the room.
If running back isn’t the answer in New York, the team’s top decision makers could start the trend for another position that isn’t notoriously taken early on Day 1. Harbaugh was part of a large contingent that attended the Ohio State Pro Day on Wednesday. It was notable enough to see Harbaugh there, given he hasn’t frequented many pro days in recent years, but in Columbus, Harbaugh, team owner Chris Mara, general manager Joe Schoen, assistant general manager Brandon Brown, and player personnel director Tim McDonnell all showed up to evaluate Buckeyes, and Harbaugh was seen getting some face time with standout safety Caleb Downs, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
The highest a safety has ever been drafted was second overall in 1991, when Eric Turner‘s name was called by the Browns. Since then, only two other safeties have even been drafted in the top five picks of the draft, Sean Taylor in 2004 and Eric Berry in 2010. Downs could be the next to join that list if the Giants decide to write his name down a month from now. Harbaugh’s defenses in Baltimore almost always featured strong safety play from names like Ed Reed, Eric Weddle, and Kyle Hamilton. Downs may be just the man to upgrade Big Blue’s defensive outfield in 2026.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
LB Arvell Reese Meets With Giants, Jets, Saints
Ohio State hybrid linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese has long been tabbed for a top-10 pick in April’s draft, and a list of his recent meetings supports that projection.
All 32 NFL teams attended Ohio State’s Pro Day on Wednesday, with the Jets, Saints, and Giants taking extra time to meet with Reese, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. All three hold top-10 picks and could stand to add an impact defender, especially one who can fill multiple roles in the front seven.
The Jets hold the second overall pick and just traded 2022 first-rounder Jermaine Johnson to the Titans, creating a need at edge rusher. Signing Joseph Ossai to a three-year, $34.5MM filled the immediate void, but New York may want to add a long-term option opposite 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald. The defense also has Jamien Sherwood and Demario Davis as their starting linebackers, but Reese could rotate in there, too.
Reese could also head to the other team in New York, though the Giants have much more depth. Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux are one of the league’s best young trios, so Reese would not have as many opportunities off the edge. However, new head coach John Harbaugh has always prioritized the off-ball linebacker position, where Reese played a majority of his college snaps. He could be Tremaine Edmunds‘ running mate in the middle of the defense as a rookie with the potential to expand his pass rushing profile if Thibodeaux leaves in free agency next offseason. The Giants have even expressed interest in trading Thibodeaux, which would open up more edge rushing snaps for Reese.
The Saints are picking at No. 8, and even that may be a long shot for Reese, who is widely considered a top-five prospect. They have two veteran starters penciled in at edge rusher and linebacker, none of which are younger than 27. Reese could see time in both roles as a rookie and serve as a long-term starter for either depending on how the rest of New Orleans’ roster comes together.
WR Carnell Tate Lines Up Five Visits
Having already met with the Browns, Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate has lined up several more visits in advance of the 2026 NFL Draft. Tate said he will meet with the Titans, Saints, Commanders, Giants and Chiefs, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.
All of the above teams have a need at receiver and are set to pick in the top 10, which is prime territory for Tate. The latest prized Ohio State receiver prospect, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate is poised to follow other recent Buckeyes wideouts like Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in coming off the board in the first round.
The Buckeyes’ receiving corps was so strong during Tate’s three-year run on the team that he was never the No. 1 option. When Tate broke in as a freshman in 2023, Harrison and Egbuka were atop the depth chart. Tate caught just 18 passes in 13 games that year. Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith were ahead of Tate in the pecking order in his sophomore season, a national title-winning campaign, but he notched 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. Closing out his college career last year, Tate played second fiddle to Smith and secured 51 catches for 875 yards and nine scores in 11 games. The sure-handed Tate did not drop a pass in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
“You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that’s not Justin Jefferson at LSU,” an NFC area scout told Matt Miller of ESPN.
That’s a lofty comparison, but with Tate considered an elite prospect, the club that drafts him will bank on adding someone capable of making a Jefferson-like impact. If he goes to Tennessee at No. 4, Tate would team with the newly signed Wan’Dale Robinson as the top receivers for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. Tate would pair with another Ohio State product in New Orleans (No. 8; Olave) or Washington (No. 7; Terry McLaurin). If the Giants take Tate at No. 5, it would give them another blue-chip receiver alongside Malik Nabers. As the sixth pick in 2024, Nabers excelled as a rookie, but a torn ACL limited him to four games last season.
Meanwhile, despite investing heavily in the receiver position in recent drafts, the Chiefs arguably lack a No. 1 wideout. 2022 second-rounder Skyy Moore is off the roster; 2023 second-rounder Rashee Rice has been productive when healthy, but he has dealt with injuries and serious off-field issues; and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy was a complementary target in his first two seasons. If the Chiefs choose Tate ninth overall, they would expect the 21-year-old to emerge as Patrick Mahomes‘ first star receiver since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in 2022.
Giants Add LB Cam Jones, LS Zach Triner
The Giants made a pair of signings on Tuesday, adding linebacker Cam Jones and long snapper Zach Triner, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Jones landed a one-year deal, while the length of Triner’s contract is unknown.
Jones piled up 209 tackles and eight sacks during his five-year run at Indiana, but he went undrafted in 2023 after suffering a foot injury in his last season with the Hoosiers. The Chiefs signed Jones, who logged 17-game seasons in his first two years in the NFL. Although Jones made little defensive impact, he was a core special teamer over that span. While Jones was part of a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie, a mid-January injury sidelined him for most of the Chiefs’ playoff run.
Kansas City won the AFC again in Jones’ second season, but he did not return for a third year. The Chiefs cut Jones last August, though the Jets quickly scooped him up via waivers. Out of Jones’ 174 snaps with the Jets, 170 came on special teams. Another injury – a hip issue – limited Jones to 10 games. Now switching from the Jets to the Giants, the 26-year-old will reunite with fellow linebacker and former college teammate Micah McFadden.
Triner, 35, has snapped for three teams since entering the league as an undrafted free agent from Assumption in 2015. Almost all of his work has come in Tampa Bay, where he played 81 games over five-plus seasons. Triner combined for four appearances with the Dolphins and Commanders over the past two years.
The Giants’ long snapper job opened when Casey Kreiter, who played in all of their games from 2020-25, signed with the Cardinals in free agency. Triner is now the leading candidate to take over. He could be part of a remade special teams battery in New York, which has also brought in a new kicker (Jason Sanders) and punter (Jordan Stout) this offseason.
In other Giants news, here are some details on several other contracts they have doled out this month:
- Isaiah Likely, TE (three years, $40MM): Likely’s deal comes with a max of $2.4MM in annual incentives based on catches, yards and touchdowns, Dan Duggan of The Athletic relays. The former Raven will also earn an extra $150K each year if he logs a 60% snap share and the Giants make the playoffs.
- Greg Newsome, CB (one year, $8MM): Newsome can make up to $2MM in playing time and team performance incentives, per Duggan.
- Patrick Ricard, FB (two years, $7.63MM): The 300-pounder’s pact comes with a max of $450K per year in playing time incentives, according to Duggan.
- Devin Singletary, RB (one year, $1.3MM): Singletary’s restructured contract features a max of $1MM in performance and playing time incentives (via Duggan).
- Joshua Ezeudu, OL (one year, $1.3MM): Ezeudu’s agreement includes approximately $410K in guarantees and a signing bonus worth $80K, Wilson reports.
WR Rumors: Tyson, Eagles, Waddle, Moore, Giants, Bears, Cowboys, Cards, Colts
One of the wide receivers expected to go off the draft board in Round 1, Jordyn Tyson did not work out at the Combine and will not participate at Arizona State’s pro day Friday. Tyson missed time with a hamstring injury last season, and it has apparently affected his pre-draft timeline. Tyson, however, will work out for teams April 17, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. That said, the former Colorado recruit will only do positional drills that day. As our Ely Allen pointed out in December, Tyson is a high-ceiling prospect but one that carries injury baggage. Knee and collarbone injuries affected Tyson in separate years with the Sun Devils, and this hamstring issue — when coupled with past maladies — could certainly affect his draft stock. But his 1,101-yard 2024 slate should provide a solid first-round floor. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Tyson 21st overall in this class.
Here is the latest from the receiver ranks:
- Regardless of their A.J. Brown decision, the Eagles will target a receiver in the draft, The Athletic’s Zach Berman notes. Howie Roseman hit with DeVonta Smith in 2021 but famously missed with Jalen Reagor (Round 1, 2020) and JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Round 2, 2019). A receiver move should be expected early, Berman adds, though he notes optimism exists among decisionmakers Smith can make another jump with a boost in targets. A Brown trade — heavily rumored to be in the works after June 1 — would create a critical need for Philly, but a rookie stepping in alongside Smith and Marquise Brown would stand to bolster the slender WR’s role within the offense.
- Marquise Brown joined the Eagles on a one-year deal worth $5MM in base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. The former Ravens, Cardinals and Chiefs wideout can max out at $6.5MM on the contract. Brown’s $5MM is fully guaranteed, which marks only a slight discount from his 2025 Kansas City terms (one year, $7MM).
- The Broncos have already used Jaylen Waddle‘s contract to create cap space, with Wilson indicating the team converted $15.42MM of the trade pickup’s option bonus to a signing bonus. Waddle is still due $17.24MM in 2026 compensation, 9News’ Mike Klis adds, but his cap number checks in at $4.88MM. That number will jump to $27.1MM in 2027, however, with $15.2MM of Waddle’s ’27 compensation being guaranteed. Acquiring Waddle’s $28.25MM-per-year contract from the Dolphins last week, Broncos hold $18.75MM in 2026 cap space, per OverTheCap.
- The Bills also restructured their WR trade acquisition’s contract, converting $22.19MM in base salary into a signing bonus. This created $17.75MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap. D.J. Moore‘s 2026 cap hit sits at just $6.75MM, though like Waddle, he is due a hefty 2027 guarantee ($15.5MM). Buffalo holds $12.29MM in cap space.
- Already reworking Terence Steele and Malik Hooker‘s contracts, the Cowboys adjusted Jonathan Mingo‘s as well. Mingo accepted a pay cut, per Wilson, who notes the former second-round pick is now on a $1.15MM deal that includes no guaranteed money. After underwhelming on his rookie deal and missing 2025 time due to injury, Mingo will vie for a roster spot. One year remains on his rookie deal.
- Darnell Mooney was tied to a three-year, $39MM Falcons deal, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes his one-year Giants pact is worth just $3MM in base value. That figure does come fully guaranteed, per Wilson, who notes the contract can max out at $10MM. Calvin Austin‘s Giants agreement comes in at just $1.5MM, according to OverTheCap, with $400K guaranteed. The slot receiver’s deal can max out at $3MM, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who notes the ex-Steeler’s playing time incentives start at a 45% snap rate; his catch incentives begin at 35, with his yardage escalators starting at 400. Meeting the minimum thresholds in each category would earn Austin $150K.
- Rounding up some other recent WR terms, the Bears are giving Kalif Raymond a one-year deal worth $3.5MM. The contract includes $3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets, and can max out at $5.1MM. The Cardinals’ Devin Duvernay deal is worth $1.85MM in base value, per Wilson, who adds $550K is guaranteed at signing. The Colts will have Nick Westbrook-Ikhine tied to a one-year, $1.4MM deal, Wilson adds, noting $438K is guaranteed at signing.
Giants To Meet With DL Shelby Harris
Part of the Russell Wilson trade, Shelby Harris spent the past three seasons in Cleveland following a Seattle one-off. The former Broncos defensive line mainstay is interested in playing an age-35 season, and he may be closing in on a destination.
Harris has a Giants meeting set up for today, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. The Giants are interested in adding interior D-line help, according to the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, and Harris brings considerable experience as an 11-year veteran.
The Browns used Harris as a 25-game starter during Jim Schwartz‘s three-year DC run; while he came up as a trade candidate at last year’s deadline, the Browns did not move on. Pro Football Focus graded Harris 56th among interior D-linemen last season (out of 127 qualified options).
Harris also made an impact with the Broncos before being included in the 2022 Wilson blockbuster. Denver traded five draft picks to Seattle for the declining quarterback — who later made what will almost definitely be a one-and-done Giants stop — but included Harris, Drew Lock and Noah Fant in the deal. Harris has made a New York stopover previously, but his three-month Jets stay in 2016 did not produce any game action.
The Myles Garrett wingman combined for 18 tackles for loss from 2023-25. While Harris only registered four sacks in that time, he was a more disruptive pass-rushing presence in Denver. The former seventh-round pick tallied at least 5.5 sacks in three of his five Broncos seasons, totaling six apiece in 2019 and 2021. Harris is also among this NFL period’s best at re-routing passes up front; his 40 pass deflections trail only Cameron Heyward (46) among D-linemen since 2017.
The Broncos gave Harris a three-year, $27MM deal to re-sign him as a free agent in 2021 but ended up including that deal to sweeten their Wilson offer. After playing out a two-year, $9MM pact in Cleveland, Harris would stand to be an affordable option for a Giants team looking for help alongside Dexter Lawrence.
Neither Rakeem Nunez-Roches nor D.J. Davidson has re-signed with the Giants; both former Lawrence sidekicks remain free agents. The Giants used a third-round pick on interior D-lineman Darius Alexander last year, and Roy Robertson-Harris is signed for one more season. The team added Sam Roberts as a depth option Monday, but the four-year veteran has maxed out at 102 defensive snaps in a season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/26
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: TE Blake Whiteheart
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: LB Arron Mosby
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: DT Larrell Murchison
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Sam Roberts
The Browns brought back tight end Blake Whiteheart today. The Wake Forest product has spent the past two seasons in Cleveland, where he’s split his time between the offense and special teams. Relied on primarily for his blocking ability, Whiteheart has had limited looks in the receiving game, hauling in eight catches for 55 yards and one touchdown. He’s part of a TEs room in Cleveland that also features Harold Fannin and Jack Stoll, with David Njoku still unsigned.
The Rams are bringing back Larrell Murchison for another season. After not getting into a game during the 2024 campaign, the defensive lineman showed flashes in 2025. He ultimately got into 16 games with the Rams, compiling a pair of sacks despite being limited to only 126 defensive snaps.
Brian Flores’ Suit Allowed To Move Forward Despite Possible SCOTUS Review; Flores Amends Complaint
Brian Flores’ suit against the NFL and six of its clubs is inching forward; sort of. Although the league is presently attempting to secure United States Supreme Court review of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that Flores’ claims against the Broncos, Giants, and Texans shall be heard in open court rather than remain in arbitration, the presiding trial court judge has denied the league’s request to stay the matter pending a SCOTUS resolution (per sports business reporter Daniel Kaplan). In other words, even as the “arbitration versus open forum” battle continues to play out, the underlying proceeding – which was filed over four years ago – has been allowed to continue into its next phases.
This represents another win for Flores, the current defensive coordinator of the Vikings, and co-plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. Successfully removing a lawsuit against the NFL from the hands of an NFL-appointed arbitrator and into the more objective purview of a trial court judge is obviously critical, and now the league will need to start defending the case on a more substantive level.
Of course, the NFL could still prevail on its last-ditch effort to keep the case in arbitration. In order for that to happen, however, SCOTUS would first need to grant the league’s pending petition to hear the appeal and would then need to rule in the league’s favor, both of which are far from sure things. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a decision as to whether the highest court in the land will hear the appeal will be made within the next month or so (but that is only for the Broncos, Giants, and Texans portion of the suit; the league’s efforts to keep the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans portion of the claim in arbitration were denied more recently, and the NFL will likely try to obtain SCOTUS review of that decision as well).
This case has now officially evolved into a war on two fronts, and Flores & Co. have also made a potentially-significant addition to their request for relief. As Kaplan details, the plaintiffs are amending their complaint to include a count under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which banned discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
As sports attorney Chris Deubert explains, the Title VII count is significant because it allows a successful plaintiff to recover even if he cannot prove intent. Rather, recovery is still possible as long as the plaintiff can prove a policy that is race-neutral on its face has a discriminatory impact in practice.
The addition of the Title VII count was not made earlier in part because of the lengthy battle over the proper venue and in part because the plaintiffs had to receive a “right to sue” letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was not issued until June 2024. With hundreds of NFL head coaching hires having been made over the course of league history, Kaplan believes Flores will have a statistically-significant sample to draw from and will thus stand a good chance of prevailing on his “disparate impact” claim.
After interviewing for head coaching jobs with three different clubs this year, Flores will remain in Minnesota on a $6MM salary. That may make him the highest-paid coordinator in the league, but the former head coach of the Dolphins still wants another opportunity to run a team.