2026 NFL Draft: Experts grade Commanders' selection of LB Sonny Styles

The Washington Commanders selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday. Styles surprisingly fell into Washington's laps once the Tennessee Titans selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate and the New York Giants chose Ohio State EDGE Arvell Reese at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.

The Kansas City Chiefs jumped the Commanders at No. 6 to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. Delane had been mocked to Washington throughout numerous mock drafts in recent days. When it was time to turn in the draft card, it was an easy decision for Commanders GM Adam Peters.

Styles lands in Washington in what has been an overhaul of one of the NFL's worst defenses. New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones will have plenty of new pieces to work with in 2026, including Styles, linebacker Leo Chenal, cornerback Amik Robertson, defensive tackle Tim Settle and edge rushers Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson.

We handed out our grades for the Sonny Styles' pick, giving the Commanders an A+. How did others grade the move? Let's find out.

Yahoo Sports: A+

Another A+ Buckeye pick here. The Commanders desperately needed to upgrade their back seven on defense and got a potential unicorn at linebacker with Styles. He has the range, size and physicality that Dan Quinn looks for in middle linebackers and will be a massive upgrade over the play that Bobby Wagner gave them last year.

USA Today: B+

Adam Peters continues to give Dan Quinn and new coordinator Daronte Jones some major assets to overhaul the defense. Styles is not only hyperathletic but incredibly savvy and capable of cleaning up everything in front of him. Caleb Downs could have been a consideration here, but Styles can offer plenty as someone who can take control of the second level of this unit. With no second-round pick, however, Washington might have trouble finding a difference-maker at receiver or in the secondary later on in the draft.

The Athletic: A

Dan Quinn is a defensive coach at heart, and his defense was in dire need of a second-level playmaker. There’s no better off-ball linebacker in this class than Styles, who can play in any subpackage and wreak havoc on an offense. He’s also a high-character leader, something that’s desperately needed in D.C., and he’ll make for a great pairing with Leo Chenal.

Styles (6-5, 244) began his career as a safety, then shifted to linebacker, where he started 42 games over three seasons (including all 16 during the Buckeyes’ 2024 national championship season). A first-team All-American last year, Styles put up a career 244 tackles, plus 22.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and nine passes defensed.

CBS Sports: A

The Commanders have their Von Miller (Bobby Wagner) replacement. The veteran linebacker remains a free agent, and selecting the best player at his position in the draft suggests Washington is content to let him walk. There is always a positional value discussion when it comes to taking inside linebackers in the first round, but Styles has been widely considered a top-10 talent since his remarkable showing at the combine.

Pro Football Focus: Very good

Styles had an excellent season at Ohio State, earning 85.0-plus grades as both a run defender and coverage defender, and then he tested the way he did at the combine. The positional value argument will come up with Styles, but he has the potential to quickly become one of the better players at the position in the NFL. It’s a much-needed infusion of talent for a Commanders defense that ranked 31st in EPA allowed per play last season.

Fox Sports: A

Both in Seattle and most recently in Washington, Dan Quinn was blessed to have future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner at middle linebacker. Remarkably, Quinn will now have an even better athlete in the middle of his Commanders defense in Styles. There are only a few linebackers in NFL history with Styles’ combination of size and speed — Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher comes to mind. Washington needed to find an alpha on defense and Styles should prove to be that immediately. 

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Grading Sonny Styles' pick in 2026 NFL Draft