Commanders select Sonny Styles: 7 things to know about the LB

Positional versatility

When Styles arrived on Ohio State's campus in 2022, he began his collegiate career as a safety, earning the starting role in 2023. In 2024, Styles transitioned to linebacker, and the Buckeyes used him as a safety-linebacker hybrid. Their goal was to exploit his versatility against modern offenses, and their experiment was a huge success. He has proven he can line up in multiple areas of the field, and if a team wants to get creative, he even profiles as a big nickel against spread looks and athletic tight ends. He can disguise coverage and blitz without tipping his hand, and if he can hone in on his technique ability to dissect plays, he's going to be difficult for offenses to handle.

Size advantage

Styles stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 244 pounds, a great size for an NFL linebacker. But he moves better than most guys his size, which is why he can cover tight ends and still play downhill. His agility, athleticism, and speed are what allowed him to play safety with his frame, and Ohio State was right to realize that he could be used in other ways. He doesn't rely on brute force, and his best trait is his range, not violence. He prefers to close the gap, and his value shows up the most when plays break down, and he closes in fast. He has things to work on, as do all rookies, but you can't teach size.

Still learning his position

After spending most of his football career in the secondary, Styles is still learning his linebacker instincts. Closer to the line, his reads aren't as sharp as when he drops in coverage. That's because he's still training his brain to think like a linebacker instead of a safety. This is also why his coverage ability is ahead of his block-shedding and run-fit consistency. He's still learning how to make reads from the box, how to hold his body in the box, and how to attack closer to the line. He will require development in that area, but with his football bloodline and the instincts he already has, it won't be long before he catches up.

Chaos is his friend

Styles has fantastic instincts on the football field, and he has the athleticism to adapt in almost any situation. When plays break down, and the quarterback is forced to scramble or make some in-the-moment decision, that's when Styles' athleticism really shows up. He's incredibly impactful when reacting to what is happening on the field rather than playing purely on-script football. As he learns his role as a linebacker, his on-script play will improve, too.

High NFL ceiling

If we learned anything in watching Styles over the last two seasons, it's that he has obvious talent. Consistency and positional identity are coming, and he's not done growing into his mand body. He's going to fill out more, but he needs to add functional strength, not bulk. That will help his ability to take on blocks and finish tackles through contact.

10 years ago, Styles' value for his profile would be considered meager at best. But because offenses are getting faster and more spread out, his profile's value has increased. Very few NFL players can fill a hybrid role, but that's exactly what Styles offers to NFL teams, and if his potential can be exploited, he has a pretty high ceiling. There's a reason he's been compared to Fred Warner.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Washington Commanders select Sonny Styles: 7 things to know