The Washington Commanders came away with a hard-fought 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. Nonetheless, any concerns about first-round pick Sonny Styles might have quieted down.
Styles played 48 total snaps in the loss, leading to a 48.6 PFF grade while recording two pressures, one sack, one hurry, two tackles, and three stops. On Sept. 15, former Washington linebacker London Fletcher spoke about Styles’ NFL debut, and he came away impressed.
“I thought he played extremely well,” Fletcher said during a Sept. 15 appearance on 106.7 The Fan. “That was the Sonny that I thought he would be. I saw him on the bus on the way into the stadium. We rode the buses, and we had to go through the security check. He was on the players’ bus, and I was on the bus with the non-football personnel.
“He went there and looked all business; he looked so locked in. I didn’t even want to say hi to him. I just let him walk by me. He was on the 12:00 bus. The game didn’t start until 4:25, so that tells you how focused, locked in, and ready to go he was to make his NFL debut.”
London Fletcher: Sonny Styles Isn’t Your Normal NFL Rookie
Moreover, Fletcher noted that Styles’ preparation on game day and his performance against the Eagles isn’t normal for a rookie, which is why the former linebacker has high hopes for the Top 10 pick.
“Not many rookies are going to get to the stadium four to four and a half hours before their NFL debut, but he’s a cerebral player, freak athlete,” Fletcher added. “His football IQ is off the charts.
“We know about his athletic gifts, and he comes from a football pedigree. So I’m looking again. Sonny’s just scratching the surface, too. So he had a great debut, but there’s more in there for him.”
People Shouldn’t Be Worried About Commanders’ Sonny Styles
Leading up to Week 1, people were concerned about how Styles looked in the preseason. Nonetheless, JP Finlay of 106.7 The Fan didn’t hold back for anyone drawing conclusions on Styles from what he’s doing in the preseason.
“Listen, if you’re drawing conclusions on Sonny Styles at this point, you’re an idiot,” Finlay said in an Aug. 24 video from 106.7 The Fan. “Whether he’s going to be the Sam or the Will might change depending on the setup… But what you want from Sonny Styles this year is a position that isn’t built on flash plays.
“What people want to see in preseason, where a guy plays 18 snaps or whatever, is, ‘Show me a flash, show me a flash.’ He’s not a receiver. He’s not a quarterback. He’s not a running back.”
During his four seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Styles had 142 solo tackles, 97 assists, 9.0 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception in 53 games, per StatMuse. As a result, he’ll be looking to translate his college production to the NFL, and it appears that the rookie linebacker is off to a good start after his debut and heading into Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Commanders’ Sonny Styles Gets Candid Message on NFL Debut