Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles comes off the NFL draft board with the seventh selection by the Washington Commanders
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles' climb up the draft ranking finally comes to an end as he was selected with the seventh pick by the Washington Commanders.
Styles was such a special player for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he is an incredibly talented player with so much potential for his NFL career. It was a windy road for Styles to get to where he is today.
When he began at Ohio State, he was actually playing the safety position. It is hard to imagine the physical presence that Styles would be at the safety position at 6'5" and over 240 pounds.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day jokes that he let Styles find out for himself that he was more of a natural linebacker. Once he came to that realization, his game began to elevate.
His first chance at real action for the Buckeyes was in the 2024 season as the Buckeyes ran to the National Championship. Styles played alongside Ohio State legend Cody Simon, and together, the two were a very formidable unit at the second level of the Buckeyes' defense.
Simon left for the NFL, and Styles assumed his role as the "mike" linebacker, making room for his teammate Arvell Reese to slot right in.
Styles immediately proved that he has every tool in his toolbox to be an elite defender. His football IQ is off the charts, and he plays at such a fast speed that it is truly hard to comprehend. When he gets to the football, he does so with incredibly bad intentions and a violent attitude.
Statistically, 2024 was a much better season as Styles notched 100 tackles and 10.0 tackles for loss. However, 2025 was far more impressive as Styles displayed his leadership and ability to make his entire team better.
He finished 2025-26 with 82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and one interception. His tape is some of the best you will ever see, and he gets his NFL opportunity with the Commanders.
Styles joins a defense that needs a lot of help. It is a major risk to take an off-ball linebacker this high in the NFL Draft, and the expectation will be that he leads this defense for several years to come.
Styles is the second Buckeye off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft, and the door is open for at least two more, maybe even a third on night one of the NFL Draft.
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