ASHBURN, Va. — He told his family early Thursday that he was going to be a Washington Commander by day’s end and few really believed it would happen. His phone lit up around 8:40 p.m. with a “spam” warning, and it wasn’t until his agent assured him it wasn’t a risk that former Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles received the news he long hoped to hear.
The Commanders selected Styles with the seventh pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday, giving their defense an immediate boost with one of this year’s most versatile and athletic prospects.
At 6-feet-5, with a 244-pound frame and near-81-inch wingspan, Styles has the coveted size and length for the position, combined with rare speed and athleticism. He can cover both tight ends and slot receivers, thanks in part to his two years at safety before converting to linebacker in 2024. He also developed into one of the draft’s most consistent tacklers, missing only two attempts last year for the Buckeyes.
“Sonny’s a guy who can play off the ball, he can play on the ball and he can mug up and blitz,” general manager Adam Peters said with a wide grin Thursday evening. “There’s so many different things he can do. He can play ‘Mike,’ play ‘Will,’ play ‘Sam.’ … He’s got the size to play on the edge, and so he’s really versatile.”
In Washington, Styles joins veteran linebacker Frankie Luvu and recent free-agent signing Leo Chenal, along with young players Jordan Magee, Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho. Peters emphasized Styles will compete at the position. But Styles will no doubt be a starter, a face of the defense and a staple of the team for years to come.
“Defense bout to be nuts,” edge rusher Charles Omenihu posted on X on Thursday.
Added cornerback Amik Robertson: “Styles!!!!!? He special !!!”
Yet Styles’ greatest strengths may be the intangible parts of his game. He can quickly diagnose offenses and react accordingly, rarely appearing as a player with minimal experience at the position. He was also voted a team captain and given the prestigious “Block O” jersey last year, awarded annually at Ohio State to the player who exemplifies toughness, accountability and high character. And, much like quarterback Jayden Daniels, who impressed the Commanders with his drastic improvement in college, Styles’ growth at linebacker and “desire to be great” solidified the team’s interest.
“He’s really driven, has the desire to be great and wants to be great for us,” Peters said. “A lot of guys try to sell themselves, and rightfully so — it’s a job interview. But his was genuine. His was real. He was very comfortable in what he said and so it makes you really confident that he’s going to do everything he can to be great for us.”
The Commanders can only hope Styles becomes the leader they sorely need for the defense, a group that was often a liability the last two years and had been overhauled this offseason.
Peters said the Commanders ran through multiple scenarios ahead of the draft in case they received offers to trade down in the first round. But his phone stayed silent Thursday evening.
“Crickets,” he said.
In a year with so much uncertainty surrounding most of the top prospects, Peters admitted last week that even he knew very little about how the draft would play out. Fernando Mendoza, the former Indiana quarterback, appeared a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, but there was no consensus on how the rest of the top 10 would unfold.
The odds of Styles still being available at No. 7 seemed minimal. But once wide receiver Carnell Tate, Styles’ former teammate at Ohio State, was taken by the Tennessee Titans at No. 4, edge rusher Arvell Reese — another former Buckeye — went to the New York Giants at No. 5 and cornerback Mansoor Delane headed to Kansas City after a trade at No. 6, excitement filled the Commanders’ draft war room in Ashburn.
“We were just like, ‘OK, we got this,’” Peters said. “So that was kind of the moment. … But we felt really good with whoever was going to come to us, and we just got a little bonus.”
Peters was thrilled to stand pat and take a player he and coach Dan Quinn believe will be a difference-maker — a belief they held after meeting him at Ohio State’s pro day in Columbus in late March and again after hosting him on a visit to Ashburn last week.
Styles was part of the Commanders’ now-annual group “top-30” visit, in which they flew in more than 20 draft prospects to meet individually with the coaching staff before spending an evening as a group at Topgolf. It’s a strategy Peters brought with him from San Francisco, meant to allow staffers to get to know players in one-on-one settings, then see how they interact together as a group.
It didn’t take much to know that Styles had exactly what they were looking for in a future draft pick. Peters described the 21-year-old as “mature beyond his years” and “driven,” noting both his humility and confidence.
“You know you’re going to get an outstanding person in this building, an outstanding competitor, outstanding football character, everything across the board,” Peters said. “He’s just kind of everything you want there as a football player and a guy in your building.”
Turns out, Styles was especially driven to return to Washington. When his phone rang as he sat inside the NFL’s green room in Pittsburgh, Styles answered with a mix of nerves and excitement.
Peters then congratulated him on becoming a Commander, before passing the phone to Quinn and owner Josh Harris.
“Everything just felt right,” Styles said moments after getting the call. “… Every meeting just felt like it was it. I left the building (last week) and I was like, ‘Man, I feel like I’m going to be a Commander.’ I’m excited it happened. It’s the perfect place to be.”