NFL DC highlights underrated reason Sonny Styles is a rare LB prospect

Despite recent reports that Ohio State’s Sonny Styles might no longer be a top-five prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, he remains the No. 1 linebacker of the incoming class. Styles’ physical skills are obvious to anyone watching his film, but he has also impressed scouts with his elite football IQ.

While Styles has all the athletic requirements to become a stout NFL linebacker, one defensive coordinator called him a “brain player,” according to James Palmer of Bleacher Report. The anonymous coach praised the 21-year-old’s ability to break down plays in front of him and “take charge,” crediting the Buckeye for “knowing ball.”

“He is actually a brain player,” the defensive coordinator said. “He diagnoses plays. You talk to him, he sounds like a linebacker. He knows ball when you talk to him; he’s a football guy. He sounds like a guy who is going to take charge. The leadership capabilities are there. He can do a bunch of different things for you because football makes sense to him.”

Styles has been the No. 1 linebacker prospect for most of the year and only cemented that status with another strong season at Ohio State in 2025. As if his stock could not get any higher, the former five-star prospect showed out at the NFL Draft Combine, where he was the top-performing linebacker.

Styles has been linked to the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders, among others, as draft night approaches. The Giants, which recently released veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke, have two potential chances to take Styles at No. 5 and No. 10.

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