Dan Quinn explains how Commanders might use Sonny Styles in 2026 NFL season

“… Every once in a while all the stars align. This was one of those cases.”

Quinn believes the sky’s clearly the limit for the 6-foot-5, 244-pound athlete, someone who wowed at the combine and in a visit to the Commanders training complex.

That’s why Quinn’s so excited to work with an individual of great talent and high character.

“I can’t wait to coach him,” Quinn said. “He’s hungry for it; he wants to improve. Seeing his first couple years at DB and then shifting down to linebacker at the start of the 2024 season, I just felt like this guy’s gonna take off. Reps at the position, and like just seeing it more and more, I cannot wait to get rolling with him.”

Quinn’s mind is already racing with the prospect of adding him to the Commanders defense, working with coordinator Daronte Jones on how to use Styles best. Considering Styles’ talent and versatily, it sounds like the Commanders are going to get creative.

“We will play in a lot of zone, where we will have vision to the QB and you can imagine this type of speed, this type of length, to be able to close to the ball,” Quinn said. “Although he hasn’t blitzed a ton at Ohio State — (Arvell) Reese was there, as well — the fact that we’re going to send this guy as a blitzer. So, I think it’s that type of versatility, where we will align him, how we can do that. He’s got the football acumen because of his time at safety, the coverage part of his game is intact and so to see him unleashed in some new ways, that’s going to be something that I very much look forward to being a part of.”

The Commanders could also add the green dot to his helmet, a relative rarity for a rookie. Being in charge of communication with the defensive play caller requires leadership and scheme mastery, which is why veterans often carry the mantle. Quinn said that Styles might be up for the assignment right away.

“That’s one of the nice things about guys already doing that in college,” Quinn said. “In the old days, we’d wait to see if he has the leadership in that space. He’s the type of player who is certainly capable of that.”