The NFL has not placed much of a premium on the off-ball linebacker position in the last decade or so, at least not compared to the way things used to be.
The linebacker position has been devalued as the NFL has evolved, a stark contrast to the way things were in the 90s and early 2000s. But here we are in the year 2026, and the linebacker position might be experiencing a bit of a renaissance. Either that, or the NFL simply won't be able to deny just how exceptional of a talent Ohio State linebacker and 2026 NFL Draft prospect Sonny Styles is.
Styles just competed at the NFL Scouting Combine, and may have cemented himself as a top-10 pick in April's draft. His workout numbers included a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash (at 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, a 43.5-inch vertical jump, and an 11'2" broad jump. Needless to say, Styles posted a 10/10 on the RAS scale, and teams will now be fighting for the chance to draft him. Who's going to get him?
3 landing spots for Sonny Styles in the 2026 NFL Draft
1. Tennessee Titans (4th overall)
Honestly, why not? The Titans have hired Robert Saleh as their head coach in 2026, and we know that Saleh's defenses always have outstanding linebacker play. In San Francisco, Saleh was responsible for developing the likes of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. Back when he was with the Texans as an assistant, he coached up Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans.
He was on Seattle's staff when Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright were young players in the league. The list goes on.
Why not get Sonny Styles under one of the best developers of defensive talent in the NFL? The Titans already addressed a key need by trading for Jermaine Johnson, so a playmaker like Styles at the second level could be perfect.
2. New York Giants (5th overall)
The New York Giants are another team that doesn't really have a no-brainer pick in the 1st round right now. So the question becomes, why not Sonny Styles?
The Giants just hired John Harbaugh as their head coach this offseason, and Harbaugh is one of the coaches in the NFL today who still really values the linebacker position extremely high. Keep in mind that the Ravens once traded a pretty big haul to acquire Roquan Smith, on top of using 1st-round picks at the position to draft Patrick Queen (2020) and CJ Mosley (2014).
It wouldn't be shocking to see Harbaugh use prime NFL Draft real estate on a linebacker, especially someone like Styles, whose background as a safety could give Harbaugh some shades of Kyle Hamilton.
3. Washington Commanders (7th overall)
Dan Quinn is going to be frothing at the mouth at the thought of getting Sonny Styles for his defense.
For the past couple of seasons, Quinn has had veteran Bobby Wagner patrolling the middle of his defense, but it's time for the Commanders to go young. The good news for Quinn is that not only will he likely have Styles rated extremely high on his board, but GM Adam Peters comes from San Francisco where he saw firsthand the value of elite linebacker play.
Styles would be an elite fit in Quinn's defense, a Day 1 impact player. Quinn knows how to use these hybrid types of defenders as chess pieces, and Styles is the ultimate chess piece.