Ohio State football coach Ryan Day made a loud statement when he said the Buckeyes have strict recruiting standards for players coming out of high school, as they only go after those projected to be first- and second-round picks.
Those words are about to be validated in the 2026 NFL Draft, with a pair of star-studded linebackers expected to be drafted with one of the first few picks. One of those is Sonny Styles, who projects as an impact player for his future NFL team from the jump.
Here’s what to know on Styles ahead of the NFL draft:
Who is Sonny Styles?
Styles is a linebacker out of Ohio State who is one of the top overall draft prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
A four-year player in Columbus, Styles had a breakout junior season in the Buckeyes’ 2024 College Football Playoff championship season. He racked up 100 total tackles (10.5 tackles for a loss) and six sacks, with 24 tackles coming during Ohio State’s CFP run. Making Styles’ junior campaign even more impressive was the fact it was his first season playing linebacker at Ohio State (he played safety in his first two seasons).
Styles entered the 2025 season as one of the top defensive players in the country and, despite his numbers being slightly down from the year prior, he still racked up 82 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
As noted by USA TODAY Sports’ Ayrton Ostly, Styles is an example of the “planet theory” when talking about NFL draft prospects: There aren’t many prospects on the board who can move around the field with his 6-foot-5, 244-pound frame.
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:
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
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