Who is Sonny Styles? Meet Ohio State LB, first-round NFL draft pick

Sonny Styles height, weight, arm length

• Height: 6-foot-5
• Weight: 244 pounds
• Arm length: 32 and 7/8 inches
• Hand size: 10 inches

Sonny Styles NFL combine results

• 40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds (1st among LBs)
• 10-yard split: 1.56 seconds (T-1st among LBs)
• Vertical jump: 43.5 inches (1st among LBs)
• Broad jump: 11 feet, 2 inches (1st among LBs)
• 3-cone drill: 7.09 seconds (6th among LBs)
• 20-yard shuttle: 4.26 seconds (T-3rd among LBs)

Styles has seen his NFL draft stock rise following last month's NFL combine, with some draft analysts moving him up to a projected top-five pick.

He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds. He also hit 43.5 inches in the vertical jump, which was the best vertical jump from a linebacker at the combine in over two decades since Penn State’s Cameron Wake reached 45 1/2 inches.

Sonny Styles NFL draft projections

Styles is widely considered one of the top linebackers in this year's NFL draft class and one of the top overall prospects in the class.

Here's where NFL draft analysts have Styles going in Thursday's draft:

• USA TODAY Sports (Ayrton Ostly, as of April 16): No. 8 to the Dallas Cowboys
• USA TODAY Sports (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, as of April 13): No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans
• ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr., as of April 15):No. 6 to the Dallas Cowboys (via trade)
• The Athletic (Dane Brugler, as of April 15):No. 6 to the Cowboys (via trade)
• CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson, as of April 13):No. 8 to the New Orleans Saints

REQUIRED READING: 2026 NFL mock draft: What Dexter Lawrence trade might mean for Giants, first round

Sonny Styles NFL draft scouting report

Here's a scouting report of Styles from USA TODAY Sports' Ayrton Ostly:

"Styles entered the year as the top linebacker in the class before Arvell Reese overtook him. Still, Styles has impressive size and elite athleticism in his 6-foot-5 and 244-pound frame. He's a young prospect and already diagnoses plays effectively. Given his age and elite traits, he could become a perennial Pro Bowler with some development. His scouting combine performance cemented his status as a premier talent in this class."

Here's a scouting report of Styles from The Columbus Dispatch's Joey Kaufman:

"Styles began his career at safety, including starting as the nickel back for the Buckeyes in 2023, before switching positions to linebacker as he grew into his 6-foot-5, 244-pound frame. In his second year at the position, he took over for Cody Simon as the starting middle linebacker and led the Buckeyes with 82 tackles during an All-America season. Along with his physical tools, he was a disciplined defender at Ohio State. It wasn’t until the College Football Playoff that Styles even missed a tackle in 2025."

Sonny Styles stats

Here's a breakdown of Styles' collegiate career stats at Ohio State:

• 2022: Nine total tackles (one for a loss)
• **2023:**53 total tackles (4.5 for a loss) with two sacks, a forced fumble and a broken-up pass
• **2024:**100 total tackles (10.5 for a loss) with six sacks, five broken-up passes, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery
• 2025: 83 total tackles (6.5 for a loss) with three broken-up passes, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception

Sonny Styles highlights

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast**.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.**

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Sonny Styles? NFL mock projections, scouting report for Ohio State LB