The 2026 NFL Draft class might not be the deepest group. But there’s still a lot of prospects to like, including from the top of the board in the first round. Some of those prospects, such as linebacker Sonny Styles, landed in great situations.
Styles might even have the best situation with the Washington Commanders. That’s what NFL.com’s Tom Blair argued on May 5.
Blair ranked Styles at No. 1 on a list of rookies “in position to succeed in Year 1 and beyond.”
“We already know Styles has the kind of athletic profile that gets folks googly-eyed,” wrote Blair. “Now picture him using his superpowers to flow to the ball as the dynamic young centerpiece of Quinn’s fortified defense.
“When Quinn says he ‘can’t wait to coach’ Styles, it might sound like boilerplate offseason hype, but in Quinn’s case, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was actually counting how many sleeps are left before he gets to work his prized new pupil into a defense that finished 31st in EPA per play last season, per Next Gen Stats.”
The Commanders selected Styles at No. 7 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Commanders Great Fit for LB Sonny Styles
NFL draft pundits have billed the Commanders as a terrific fit for Styles over the past few months. That hype intensified when Styles landed in Washington in the top 10.
Even still, being considered the very best fit for any rookie in the entire 2026 NFL Draft is quite notable. It comes with significant expectations, but Styles has the talent to meet them.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Styles to 4-time All-Pro Fred Warner.
“[Styles] can make an impact from multiple spots on the field and is a plus man-cover talent,” wrote Zierlein. “Styles is an emerging player with the traits and versatility.”
At Ohio State, Styles transitioned to linebacker in 2024 after playing safety for two years. In 30 games at linebacker, Styles posted 182 combined tackles, including 17 tackles for loss. He also had seven sacks, eight pass defenses, one interception and a forced fumble.
Styles registered 82 combined tackles, including 6.5 for loss, one sack and three pass defenses in 14 games during 2025.
Commanders Aiming to Fix Defense in 2026
Styles is such a great fit with the Commanders because he is exactly what the team needs.
Washington finished the 2025 campaign last in yards allowed and 27th in points against. The Commanders were in the bottom five of rushing and passing yards allowed. They were also 31st in takeaways.
An inside linebacker can fix a lot of those issues. There wasn’t a better linebacker available in the 2026 NFL Draft than Styles. So if any rookie is going to step into Washington’s defense and help at inside linebacker, it’s Styles.
To support the rookie inside linebacker, the Commanders also selected edge rusher Joshua Josephs in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Washington used its other four draft picks on offense. But the Commanders made a lot of defensive additions during NFL free agency.
At edge rusher alone, the Commanders signed Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Charles Omenihu. They added two cornerbacks — Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon — and two defensive linemen — Tim Settle and D.J. Davidson — as well.
At linebacker, the Commanders signed Leo Chenal. Finally, they also addressed safety with Nick Cross.
Commanders’ Sonny Styles Tops Impressive Rookie List