The Washington Commanders have selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

A First-Team All-American and All-Big Ten selection, Styles (6-foot-5, 244 pounds) was a key piece of the best defense in college football last season. In his senior season in 2025, he earned at least an 87 from Pro Football Focus in run game, tackling (he had an FBS-best 92.2) and coverage. The year before, he surpassed those numbers, amassing 100 tackles, six sacks and one forced fumble as the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship.

"The former Buckeye diffuses block attempts with crisp hand strikes and leverages run fits with force/anchor strength," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote. "He has plenty of short-area quickness and pursuit speed to get where he needs to go."

The 21-year-old linebacker has had an eye-popping offseason. This past February at the NFL Combine, he recorded a 43.5- inch vertical jump, the highest mark of any player at any position since 1999 who weighed more than 240 pounds.

In addition to his skills and athleticism, Styles also possesses a high level of maturity. He was unanimously selected for Ohio State's "Block O" award – a distinction given to Ohio State players who exemplify "the core values of being a Buckeye: toughness, leadership, and character."

Washington struggled mightily against the pass, against the run and in pressure rate last season. In the words of Zierlein, Styles can "make an impact from multiple spots on the field and is a plus man-cover talent." An inability to finish tackles was a sore spot for the Commanders in 2025. They ranked 31st in that category. According to Pro Football Reference, Styles was the only defensive player with at least 50 tackles to have a miss rate of zero. The Commanders are immediately addressing key needs in picking up one of the best (and youngest) players in this year's draft.