Commanders' Sonny Styles an early contender for NFL Rookie of the Year

Could the Washington Commanders win an NFL Rookie of the Year award for the third time in seven seasons in 2026?

In 2020, Washington defensive end Chase Young won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award after recording 7.5 sacks. In 2024, quarterback Jayden Daniels won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Daniels' rookie season is arguably one of the greatest in professional sports history.

Could linebacker Sonny Styles be the next Washington rookie award winner?

Drafted No. 7 overall out of Ohio State, Styles has only played linebacker for two seasons, yet became a first-team All-American in 2025. He was considered by most draft analysts as a consensus top-five player in the 2026 draft class, but fell to the Commanders, who wasted no time in selecting him.

In a draft full of defensive playmakers, such as Styles' former Ohio State teammates Caleb Downs (Cowboys) and Arvell Reese (Giants), David Bailey (Jets) and Mansoor Delane (Chiefs), what are Styles' chances of becoming the next Washington rookie of the year?

Ben Solak of ESPN named his favorites for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. Solak named Styles as one of his five favorites for the defensive award.

Bobby Wagner was a tackle vacuum for the Commanders, but can Styles do the same as he steps into his shoes? It's a towering task, but Styles also has the DB background and unique frame (6-foot-4, 243 pounds) to make far more plays in the passing game than the average starting linebacker. Riddling out whether Styles can get 100% of the snaps in Week 1, with and also on the depth chart, is the key to defining just how strong of a candidate he is. But the blend of tackle production and pass coverage might be too much for voters to ignore.