Ohio State's star linebacker received an incredible comparison to future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly.
The Ohio State Buckeyes' star linebacker Sonny Styles quietly put together the best season out of any Buckeye defender in 2025.
He was surrounded by so many good players who were tasked with, and executed, highlight-level plays. Whether it was Arvell Reese rushing the quarterback, Caleb Downs making plays in the secondary, or Caden Curry sacking the quarterback, Styles always felt like he was in the background.
Whether he was top of mind or in the background, he was always, and I mean always, in the correct spot. He played such a clean and professional linebacker in 2025 that he catapulted his draft stock nearly through the roof.
Wherever you have Styles ranked, I promise it isn't high enough. On Tuesday, the comparison was drawn between Styles and future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly.
The question in the post was meant to generate some conversation, but it got me thinking, is that what Styles is as a prospect?
The linebacker position is so undervalued in today's NFL that Styles likely won't get selected in the top-10. Basically, if you can't score touchdowns, sack the quarterback, or play left tackle, you're in a pool all to yourself.
But what if Styles is the next Luke Kuechly?
If you gave all 32 teams the opportunity to select Kuechly in the first round of the draft, they would all do it. He certainly would have gone probably No. 2 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft behind one Andrew Luck.
Washington would have definitely picked him over Robert Griffin III, and the Browns would trade their selection of Trent Richardson for Kuechly without batting an eye.
So, that begs the question, which franchise is going to have the courage and the guts to make the pick in this year's NFL Draft? Fernando Mendoza is definitely the No. 1 pick, but who would fault the Jets if they took him at No. 2 or even the Giants at No. 5?
Styles is widely projected to fall to No. 15 and land with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If that becomes reality, he would be an incredible fit for the Bucs, and it would be a good fit for him. He would be competing for the Playoffs every season and could make an impact on that team right away.
If Styles is regarded as the next Luke Kuechly, there is no draft pick too high to select him. We will see if he is seen that way by NFL teams at the end of April.
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