Sonny Styles
Ohio State · Big Ten · Sonny Styles is the most physically gifted linebacker in the 2026 draft class — a 6'3", 235-pound specimen who combines rare athleticism with football IQ that belies his age. The son of former NFL receiver Lorenzo Styles, he's a natural student of the game who emerged as a defining defensive force in his junior season, flashing the coverage ability, run-stop skills, and blitz production that has teams projecting him as a franchise-cornerstone defender.
Styles is still learning to maintain coverage assignments while reading the backfield — he can lose his man when his eyes wander. Consistency is the chief concern; his performance can swing within individual games. He needs to add pass-rush refinement to his blitz package to avoid becoming too predictable.