Washington Commanders select Sonny Styles in first round of 2026 NFL Draft

The Washington Commanders have selected former Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Styles will now look to translate a highly productive career in Columbus to the pros.

Styles was a defensive back at one point in his career, and it shows in his athleticism and speed. At the NFL Combine in February, he posted a 4.46 40-yard-dash time, but he also recorded an NBA-esque 43.5-inch vertical jump, as well as an 11-foot-2 broad jump.

He’s able to get it done between the sidelines as well. He posted 83 stops (43 solo) with three pass breakups, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception. Styles recorded 100 tackles during Ohio State’s national championship season in 2024.

Before college, Styles was a Five-Star-Plus+ recruit, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 4 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, No. 2 ATH and the top-rated player from the state of Ohio.

What NFL analysts are saying about Sonny Styles

Now that Sonny Styles has been drafted, his new fanbase may want to know what to expect out of their newest linebacker. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided in-depth analysis on the former Buckeyes standout.

“Styles began his Ohio State career as a safety, but he settled in at linebacker in 2024. He’s improved in diagnosing play development. The former Buckeye diffuses block attempts with crisp hand strikes and leverages run fits with force/anchor strength. There are times when he slips back into a containment-based approach, but he has plenty of short-area quickness and pursuit speed to get where he needs to go. He can make an impact from multiple spots on the field and is a plus man-cover talent.

“Styles is an emerging player with the traits and versatility to garner longer looks by NFL evaluators. He could see his stock soar leading up to draft day.”