The Washington Commanders spent the offseason revamping Dan Quinn’s defense after a rough sophomore campaign in DC. The cherry on top of that rebuilding sundae came on draft night when they took do-it-all linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall selection.
In an interview with the Rich Eisen Show, Quinn talked about Styles’ versatility and how it can affect the entire defensive division.
“I think it’s rare. … That type of linebacker; the athleticism, the speed, the size, the length — it’s not an annual player,” Quinn said. “I’m a development coach – I can’t wait to coach him. He’s hungry for it; he wants to improve. Seeing his early years at DB and then moving to linebacker at the start of the 2024 season, I just felt like this guy was going to get going. Reps at the position, and like seeing it more and more, I can’t wait to roll with him.”
Styles’ athletic profile has one scouts drooling over, and his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine confirmed the linebacker as a top-10 pick. In Indianapolis, Styles posted ridiculous numbers that included the highest vertical leap by a linebacker (43 1/2 inches), the longest broad jump (11-foot-2) and a 4.46-second 40-yard dash time that tied for the fastest by a linebacker and included a 1.56-second 1.56-second ranking in the split top 10-yard group.
The Combine performance confirmed his awesome athletic profile and added to a resume that included a stellar last two seasons at Ohio State where he racked up 182 tackles (17 for loss), seven sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and eight pass breakups. At 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, Styles had testing results that made him an exciting prospect that drew comparisons to 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, an elite defender capable of making game-changing plays in run defense and the pass.
If Styles can get anywhere close to Warner’s ability and talent in the middle of defense it would cement Quinn.
The coach said he would “consider” having Styles wear the green dot during practice as a rookie, suggesting Washington is already toying with putting a ton on the rookie’s plate. “He’s certainly capable of it.”
“He has such a unique quality to him,” Quinn said. “And so, we’re going to play in a lot of zones where we’re going to have a look at the QB and you can imagine that kind of speed, that kind of length, to be able to get to the ball. Even though he didn’t hit a ton at Ohio State — (Arvell) Reese was there, too — the fact that we’re going to send this guy as a blitzer. We can do that. He’s got football credentials because of his time at safety, the coverage part of his game is intact, and to see him unleash the reins in a new way, it’s going to be something I’m really looking forward to being a part of.”
As NFL defenses move closer to positionless football in the back seven, players with Styles’ versatility and skill set will be extremely valuable.