If you have been following the Sunday mock drafts here at Big Blue View, and our 2026 NFL Draft coverage in general, my selection of Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 5 in the SB Nation Writer’s Mock Draft should not be a surprise.
Whenever available, Styles has consistently been my choice for the Giants since the 6-foot-5, 244-pounder put on a historic display at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Here is how the first five picks went:
- Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Alabama
- New York Jets — Arvell Reese, OLB, Ohio State
- Arizona Cardinals — David Bailey, OLB, Texas Tech
- Tennessee Titans — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
I chose Styles over Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.
I agree with this pick for the same reason Valentine notes above. It’s hard to imagine the Ravens defenses of the past without their quality inside linebacker play and trying to picture a John Harbaugh-led defense playing without a true green dot player in the middle just doesn’t sit right. Styles seems like such a perfect fit for this team to not only be the guy in the middle for the defense, but an excellent pairing to play alongside 2025 first-round edge rusher Abdul Carter for the foreseeable future.
Styles is a rangy, sideline-to-sideline defender with immense athleticism to be a game-wrecker from the first whistle until the last. He sifts through trash around the line of scrimmage effortlessly to find ball carriers before they have a chance to hit the gas. When he can’t avoid blocks altogether, Styles pops blockers in the mouth and sheds them with haste.
While some may believe the off-ball linebacker position is not worth such a high pick in the draft, they don’t make them like Styles every year and the chance to add a player with his ceiling is just too much to pass up for a coach looking to turn things around fast in Year 1.
In my view, I just don’t look at Tremaine Edmunds as a dominant, transformative player at this point in his career. Styles could be, and since the days of Ray Lewis Harbaugh’s defenses have always relied on having that dominating presence in the middle. Styles has a chance to be that guy.
Todd McShay has Styles No. 2 on his big board. McShay says:
Styles checks all the boxes when it comes to intangibles, production, upside, and tape, and he has the frame and traits to make more of an impact as an edge rusher in the NFL than he did in college. He was a team captain and national champion at Ohio State, where he started 41 games and received the team’s Block “O” award and no. 0 jersey. He finished his career with 245 tackles, including 21.5 TFL and nine sacks. He played safety for his first two seasons at Ohio State before switching to linebacker for his final two.
He has a rare blend of size, speed, and athletic ability. His 40 time, 10-yard split, vertical jump, and broad jump were all ranked first or tied for first among all linebackers at the combine. His 43.5-inch vertical jump was the highest by an off-ball linebacker at the combine since 2003. He’s tall enough to see into the backfield, which helps him locate and track the ball, and he has excellent range.
He knocks blockers back when he plays downhill and has long arms to keep them off his frame. He holds his ground when teams run at him. He can still improve getting off his blocks once engaged, but he’s shown he can shed them in time to make plays. He’s a powerful tackler who meets and wraps up ballcarriers in the hole, and he cut down his number of missed tackles in 2025. He closes well when he rushes from depth and off the edge. He overpowers running backs. He can win with his hands and flashes speed to power. He’s a strong hitter who separates receivers from the ball, and he has the traits to match up with backs and tight ends in man coverage.
Styles is one of the top five prospects in this class, and he has a chance to be the first off-ball linebacker drafted in the top five since Tampa Bay drafted Devin White fifth in 2019.
Styles is a plug-and-play starter with All-Pro potential. He compares well to Tremaine Edmunds, who went to the Pro Bowl twice in his first three seasons in the league.
You may also remember that I traded Dexter Lawrence to the Chicago Bears in this mock draft. That means I have the 25th pick in Round 1. Stay tuned for that.
You can see all the picks at SB Nation NFL.
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