The Washington Commanders took Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, through two preseason games, there appears to be concern over the rookie linebacker’s play. Now, it’s the preseason, and any worries should come with a grain of salt.
Any concerns or worries will be addressed in Week 1 on Sept. 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. If Styles struggles during the first few games of the regular season, then the concerns might be valid.
Still, for now, 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.
Sonny Styles Should Look to Replicate Fred Warner’s Rookie Year
Moreover, Finlay shared what would be a successful rookie season for Styles in the role that the Commanders are asking him to fill this campaign.
“Fred Warner’s rookie year, he played all 16 games and had 124 tackles,“ Finlay added. “You want maybe north of that, but you want durability, a guy who’s there every week, logging 11 or 12 tackles a week.
“That’s what you’re looking for from Sonny Styles. Along the way, you want some passes knocked down and you want to force a fumble, but that position is not built to wow you in a small sample.”
Commanders Insider on Sonny Styles
On the Aug. 21 edition of “NFL Spotlight With Ari Meirov,“ Washington Post Reporter Tashan Reed recently shared what he’s seen from Styles in training camp. Perhaps these remarks could calm down any worries that fans might see in the preseason games from the rookie.
“He’s moved around a little bit in practice,“ Reed said. “We’ve seen him lined up at Mike and Will linebacker at different times. It seems like him and Frankie Luvu are going to be the two guys that are out there most of the time when they’re in their nickel package with two linebackers on the field.
“He’s a guy that, just looking at him, you can see why he was the seventh overall pick. The combination of height, athleticism and speed is really something that’s hard to find at any position. I think it really shines when he’s back there in pass coverage, which has been an issue for the Commanders for a couple years.”
Commanders Get Strong Message Amid Sonny Styles Concern