🏈 Who Will Draft Sonny Styles? 2026 NFL Draft Projection, Scouting Report & Team Prediction

For the first time in a decade, Ohio State will have an off-ball linebacker selected in the first round of the NFL draft, but who will draft Sonny Styles?

The Tennessee Titans (No. 4) and New York Giants (No. 5) are the biggest favorites to select Styles, according to prediction market apps. The All-American is one of the most physically impressive players in the class and shouldn't wait long to hear his name called in Pittsburgh.

I've spent the past year watching film and grading every top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Below, I break down Styles' draft profile, including his biggest strengths and weaknesses; my full scouting report and draft grade on Styles; and which team I expect to draft the former Buckeyes' star in the first round on Thursday, April 23, as part of our 2026 NFL Draft predictions. 

📝 Sonny Styles draft profile

For more on the NFL draft, check out the 2026 NFL Draft odds.

Sonny Styles strengths

They don't make off-ball linebackers like Styles. Rarely do you find a player as long (92nd percentile wingspan) and explosive (99th percentile vertical jump and 98th percentile broad jump) as Styles is playing anywhere on defense other than edge rusher. But the former safety has turned himself into more than an anomaly; he's one of the highest-floor players in the class and the rare off-ball linebacker worthy of a top-10 pick.

Styles has elite range for the position, which he showcases both as a sideline-to-sideline run defender and in coverage, carrying tight ends down the seam (with the way he moves, it's not a surprise that he started at safety as a sophomore). While converted safeties often struggle when it comes to reading keys and diagnosing plays, Styles' instincts consistently flash with the way he attacks and fits the run.

Even better, he's the best tackler in the class, using those long arms and that explosive athleticism to finish through ball carriers. His take-on skills are top-notch, and he missed just two tackles in 2025 while leading the Buckeyes in run stops (32). Styles will wear the green dot in the NFL and be a huge boost, leadership-wise, in any locker room, too. 

Sonny Styles weaknesses

There aren't any blatant holes in Styles' game, with maybe the biggest knock on him being the position he plays. It can be hard to justify taking an off-ball linebacker early in the draft, and it happens even less frequently than their offensive counterparts (running back).

Digging into Styles' game, he did struggle more with missed tackles in 2024 due to his pad level, which is naturally high at times, given his height. Still, he clearly improved upon this in 2025, just like he improved with reading his keys as he took on a full-time linebacker role.

Sonny Styles scouting report

An Ohio State legacy, Styles' father played linebacker for Ohio State in the 90s and was drafted in the third round by the Atlanta Falcons. The younger Styles was born to be a Buckeye. A five-star safety recruit in the class of 2022 (he skipped his final year of high school), Styles played sparingly as a freshman but entered the starting lineup at safety as a sophomore. 

He immediately made an impact on Ohio State's defense with his versatility, athleticism, and size, making him a bit of a chess piece. As a sophomore, he played 33.6% of his snaps in the box, 29.9% at free safety, and 27.5% as an overhang defender/big nickel. 

As a junior, Styles moved to linebacker full-time as a starter on Ohio State's top-ranked national championship-winning defense, finishing second on the team in defensive stops (43) and tackles (100). Had he declared after his junior season, he was expected to be a Day 2 pick.

Returning for his senior year, Styles took on a large leadership role and improved his tacking and diagnosing skills in his second season as an off-ball linebacker. It was clear from the start of the season against Texas that he would be an ascending player, and by the Big Ten Championship against Indiana (his best game), the top 10 buzz was getting louder. 

Styles has everything you could want in an off-ball linebacker, both on and off the field, with his rare explosiveness, length, IQ, and leadership. He has an All-Pro ceiling and is arguably the best pure football player in the class.

Sonny Styles draft grade

• 7.40 (top-10 pick)

🔮 Who will draft Sonny Styles?

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Sonny Styles draft projection & landing spots

As the Arvell Reese vs. David Bailey debate rages on, Styles looks like he could be competing with his own teammate, Caleb Downs, to be the third defender selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. If the two pass rushers go No. 2 and No. 3, the Titans (49% chance of drafting Styles) will likely be debating between Styles and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

While Robert Saleh is a defensive-minded head coach, Tennessee GM Mike Borgonzi may want to add offensive help around last year's No. 1 pick, Cam Ward. If the Titans pass on Styles, the Giants (40% chance) will potentially be choosing between him and Downs.

New York needs defensive help, and either Buckeye would be a good fit on John Harbaugh's first team in the Big Apple. And if the G-Men pass on Styles, their NFC East rival, the Washington Commanders (24% chance), would also be a strong landing spot for the Buckeye linebacker.

However, while those two NFC East teams have top-10 picks, there have been rumors of another team in that division making a trade up to take Styles. Jerry Jones loves to be splashy, and he could have Will McClay orchestrate a trade so that the Dallas Cowboys (19% chance) land Styles.

Prediction: Sonny Styles to the Cowboys

It's a longer shot that Styles ends up in Dallas, but he's the exact player this Cowboys defense needs, and the team has two first-round picks (No. 12 and No. 20) to get a deal done to move into the top 10. It would likely take the Giants passing on Styles at No. 5, and Dallas making a trade with the Cleveland Browns for the sixth overall pick.

If Dallas can pull it off, new defensive coordinator Christian Parker will have a linebacker to lead his defense and wear the green dot. Styles can develop into one of the league's most lethal linebackers and would offer plenty of marketing potential, something Jones would love, as a freak show athlete.