The Tampa Bay Buccaneers desperately need reinforcements on defense this offseason. They lack a premier edge rusher, and Lavonte David’s age makes off-ball linebacker a pressing need. Naturally, a top draft prospect like linebacker Sonny Styles has been named as a fit.

The Ohio State prospect could anchor the middle of Tampa Bay’s defense for years to come, giving Todd Bowles a versatile piece to build the unit around. It’s a dream pairing.

But it looks like it might have to remain a dream. After the jaw-dropping performance Styles put up at the NFL Combine, he’ll quickly rise up draft boards. At this point, there doesn’t seem to be a chance he’s available for the Buccaneers with the 15th pick.

Sonny Styles just launched himself out of Buccaneers’ draft range at the NFL Combine

Off-ball linebackers aren’t typically selected in the top ten picks of the NFL Draft. It’s not seen as a premium position, so it often falls behind quarterbacks, receivers, tackles, and defensive linemen. Styles is different, though.

The 21-year-old looks like he was built to play linebacker. He measured in at 6’5″ and 244 pounds at the Combine. His near-33-inch arms were above average as well. But the NFL world was waiting to see what would happen when he stepped on the field for athletic testing.

He did not disappoint.

Styles started off by exploding for a 43.5″ vertical jump, the highest number ever recorded at the Combine for a player of his size. He followed it up with an 11’2″ broad jump, the highest mark of any linebacker this year. Then, he closed out the showing with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash. That number was only matched by his Ohio State teammate, Arvell Reese.

With a few tests still remaining, Styles currently boasts a 10.0 Relative Athletics Score (RAS), the highest number possible. Scouts already knew that he was an impressive athlete, but these numbers were still shocking for everyone in the building.

Of course, he’s more than just an outstanding athlete. His film shows a versatile linebacker who can drop into coverage just as well as he can fit the run. Any team lucky enough to draft him will get a true franchise building block in the middle of their defense.

Unless they trade up, the Buccaneers likely won’t be that team. At this point, it doesn’t look like Styles will make it out of the top ten picks. Tampa will have to look elsewhere for its next young star.