The Washington Commanders landed one of the biggest defensive playmakers in the 2026 NFL Draft when they selected Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick. If the rookie linebacker lives up to one bold prediction, Dan Quinn's defense could quickly become one of the NFL's most dangerous units.
The Commanders aimed to make their defense younger, more athletic, and more impactful, and found all of that in Styles, who stood out as a defensive playmaker at Ohio State during the 2025 college football season. Although teammates Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs received most of the attention, Styles became the leading off-ball linebacker entering the draft.
After an eye-popping NFL Combine, Styles was getting major buzz and hype as the top linebacker period. With his combination of size (6-foot-5, 244 pounds), athleticism, physicality and leadership, Styles entered the NFL as one of the safest defensive prospects in the draft. His early work during offseason practices has only reinforced why Quinn believes the rookie is ready to contribute immediately.
"He has hit all the marks that you can at this time of year," Quinn said before the Commanders' first minicamp practice in June. "The knowledge, the intensity to go for it."
Sonny Styles has all the tools to become the Commanders' next defensive star
As a safety converted to linebacker, Styles has the total field awareness to be one of those franchise cornerstones fans will remember for years. That is a ton of pressure to put on a rookie, but Styles exhibits the ability to adjust within defensive schemes and go out there and make plays. With his athleticism and playmaking ability, it really comes down to his confidence.
"The more reps you get, the more confident you get," Styles said. "So, [I'm] just getting more and more comfortable each rep and slowly learning...from the guys around me, learning from the guys I'm going against. Just getting better every day."
Once Styles gets comfortable and finds his niche within new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones’ system, he is going to be special which leads to this NFL Mocks’ bold prediction.
Bold prediction: Sonny Styles could rewrite the Commanders' record book
Styles built his reputation at Ohio State by consistently finding the football, recording 100 tackles in 2024 before following that with 82 tackles in 2025. With a longer NFL season and a projected every-down role in Washington's defense, he has a legitimate chance to challenge one of the oldest rookie records in franchise history.
Darrell Green has held the Commanders' rookie record with 109 tackles since 1983, while Cole Holcomb finished with 105 tackles as a rookie in 2019. If Styles develops as quickly as expected, surpassing 120 total tackles isn't out of the question.
A 120-tackle season would place Styles among the best rookie tacklers in NFL history. Patrick Willis set the modern record with 174 combined tackles during his Defensive Rookie of the Year season in 2007, setting a daunting benchmark for future rookie linebackers.
Breaking Willis' record may be too high of a mark, but eclipsing Washington's rookie franchise record is well within reach. If Styles settles into Daronte Jones' defense as quickly as expected, don't be surprised if he finishes with more than 120 tackles while emerging as one of the leading contenders for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
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