Sonny Styles LB Ohio State |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #0 PLAY STYLE: COVERAGE LB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/10/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.46 seconds (97%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.8 DOB: 11/24/2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #0 | |
| PLAY STYLE: COVERAGE LB | |
| Last Updated: 04/10/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.46 seconds (97%*) | |
| Age: 21.8 DOB: 11/24/2004 | |
| Overall Rating: | 88.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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75% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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88% |
| Pass Rush: |
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75% |
| Run Defense: |
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89% |
| Coverage: |
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89% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Mid
Overall Rank:
#11
Position rank:
#3 (LB)
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| College Games: 48 College Snaps: 2026 | ||
ESPN RATING: 90/100
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247 RATING: 98/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Payton Wilson - NC State |
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92% |
| Jamin Davis - Kentucky |
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86% |
| Jack Campbell - Iowa |
|
84% |
Drafted: ROUND: 1 - Pick Number: 7 (WSH)
Draft Profile: Bio
The son of former Ohio State linebacker and six-year NFL veteran Lorenzo Styles Sr., Sonny was coached by his father through youth football and routinely played up an age group. He starred in three sports at Pickerington Central and helped the basketball program to a 2022 Division I state title before committing to football.A consensus five-star recruit and the top-ranked safety in the 2022 class, Styles reclassified, skipped his senior year, and enrolled as a 17-year-old in June 2022. He played a hybrid safety role for two seasons before Ohio State moved him to linebacker during 2024 spring practices, a switch that produced 100 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks in his first year at the position. He added 24 stops across four playoff games, including nine tackles and two sacks against Texas in the semifinal en route to a national title.
In 2025, Styles wore the green dot as the defensive signal-caller in Matt Patricia's 4-2-5, led the team in tackles, and was voted a senior captain after receiving the most votes on the roster. He finished with 82 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss and earned First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten honors. He graduated in December and declined an invitation to the Senior Bowl.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Historically rare size-speed profile; tested at the 99th percentile in explosion drills at 244 pounds.
- Covers ground from sideline to sideline and erases angles on outside zone and perimeter runs.
- Carries tight ends down the seam and matches backs on option routes out of the backfield.
- Shucks climbing linemen with quick hands and lateral agility rather than raw anchor strength.
- Reliable finisher in space; two missed tackles across his entire 2025 season.
- Zone drops show safety instincts, reading the quarterback and closing throwing lanes in a hurry.
- Wears the green dot for a College Football Playoff program and ran the huddle as a captain.
- Blitz reps show burst and power; the pass rush has not been fully tapped into yet.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Tackle attempts get high at times; long frame creates leverage issues against NFL runners.
- Bites on play-action and boot fakes and vacates his gap before the ball is out.
- Play strength against interior linemen climbing to the second level is still developing.
- Reacts well in coverage but lacks the anticipation to beat routes to the spot.
- Two full seasons at the position; gap fits and block recognition are still being refined.
- Ball production lags the coverage tape; one career pick came on a deflection.
Scouting Report: Summary
The combine in Indianapolis confirmed what Ohio State's strength staff had been whispering about for two years. A 4.46 forty, a 43.5-inch vertical, and an 11-foot-02 broad jump at 244 pounds is the kind of workout that shows up in a defensive coordinator's planning meetings the next morning. Styles is not a coverage linebacker who tested well. He is a historically rare athlete at the position whose tape matches the numbers.The fit is a modern defense that wants its MIKE interchangeable with its big nickel and is comfortable leaving him on the field against every personnel grouping. He carries tight ends, matches backs on wheels, drops into robber looks, and aligns as an overhang against 11 personnel without forcing a substitution. The Matt Patricia 4-2-5 he played in at Ohio State is a reasonable template for how to get the most out of him, with the green dot responsibility already under his belt. Adding him as a designed pressure piece is where a coordinator can push him past coverage linebacker into something more, and the untapped rush reps on his college tape are the evidence that is real.
The concerns are honest but not the kind that drag the projection down. Play strength will catch up with NFL weight room work, and the tackling leverage is a correctable habit rather than a trait issue. Anticipation in coverage is the area that separates good from special at the next level. The floor is a plus coverage linebacker who contributes in nickel from day one. The ceiling is an every-down centerpiece who changes how a coordinator can structure his back seven.
Written By:
K.C. Martinez (Big Ten)
Sonny Styles percentiles vs other Linebackers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Sonny Styles (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
12.1
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
3.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.