Sonny Styles 2026 NFL Draft profile: The next Fred Warner or Kyle Hamilton?

Calling an NFL prospect 'unique' has, frankly, lost some of its meaning. Every year, athletic phenoms headline the incoming draft class, seemingly faster, stronger, and better than any who came before them.

Sonny Styles, the Ohio State standout tipped to be the first linebacker to go top five since 2019, is one player who has been labelled as such. The difference, in his case, is that he might actually deserve it.

With the 2026 NFL Draft inching ever closer, available to watch live on DAZN, here’s everything you need to know about the 21-year-old who has draftniks in a tailspin.

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Michael Reaves / Staff

Sonny Styles' backstory

Styles' story is the stuff of legend. His dad, Lorenzo Styles Sr., also played for Ohio State before spending six years in the NFL as a linebacker, winning a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams.

A five-star prospect from Pickerington Central High School in Ohio, Sonny initially arrived at the Buckeyes as a safety in 2022.

Despite his undeniable potential, he struggled to get a foothold in his freshman year, playing almost exclusively on special teams, effectively serving a redshirt shirt.

Styles began the 2023 season in a hybrid safety-linebacker role, lining up all over the field, before transitioning to a more box-heavy linebacker role the following year.

He truly came into his own in 2024, posting 100 tackles, six sacks, and five pass breakups, becoming one of a handful of defensive stars who helped the Buckeyes win the National Championship.

Ohio State couldn't repeat in 2025, but Styles' performances reached a whole new level, culminating in a First-team All-American award.

Styles dominated the NFL Combine

Everyone knew Styles was off-the-charts athletic, and many predicted he'd put on a show in Indianapolis. Even so, what transpired at the Combine left evaluators stunned.

Where to start? His vertical jump was the best ever by an off-ball linebacker, and he finished first among all linebackers in four of the six events in which he participated.

• 40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds (first)
• 10-yard split: 1.56 seconds (tied-first)
• Vertical jump: 43.5" (first)
• Broad jump: 11'2" (first)

According to NFL Research, Styles is the only player since 2003 to run a sub-4.5 40, record a 40+ inch vertical and post an 11+ foot broad jump at 230 pounds or more.

To put that into perspective, he's taller than wideout Mike Evans, faster than George Pickens, and heavier than former defensive end Trent Cole. Make sense of that.

Unsurprisingly, Styles' Relative Athletic Score (RAS) registered 10 out of 10. By that metric, he is the most athletic off-ball linebacker in nearly four decades.

Styles' lofty NFL comparisons

The pro players Styles is being likened to tell you everything you need to know about what evaluators think of his NFL outlook.

In the first of two comparisons to two of the best at their position, PFF's Trevor Sikkema went as far as to suggest Styles could make a "Fred Warner-esque" impact.

Asked what he thought of occupying a do-it-all role similar to that of Baltimore Ravens three-time Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton, Styles made it clear he thinks he's up to the job.

Styles' strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Elite athleticism
• Superior traits in pass coverage suggest three-down potential
• Significantly improved tackling form in 2025
• Finds and slips through holes in blocking schemes with ease
• Versatility - excels in the box and in the slot as a nickel defender

Weaknesses

• Play recognition at the second level is still catching up to his athleticism
• His lean frame may mean he struggles to disengage from blocks

Where will Sonny Styles get drafted?

Off-ball linebackers don't usually go top five. The last to do so was Devin White in 2019. Styles could well be the next.

In our latest mock draft, Styles is tabbed to the New York Giants at No. 5. Tune into the draft on April 23, live on DAZN, to see if we're right.