Linebacker Sonny Styles finally put himself in the spotlight with an exceptional performance at the NFL Combine. The young man at Ohio State is predicted to have a great career. A career that only took off after an important decision.
sport.de looks at the career of the young defender, who had NFL blood in him from birth and still had to make the right decision at the right moment together with his coaches.
NFL talent in the cradle
Styles grew up in Ohio. The family settled there after father Lorenzo Styles Sr. ended his NFL career. He was selected in the third round by the Atlanta Falcons in 1995. He later went to St. Louis, where he even won a Super Bowl title with the Rams.
The senior not only passed on his talent to his son Sonny, but also to his brother Lorenzo Styles Jr. He will also be included in the upcoming draft. However, experts predict that the defensive back will be seen later in the draft.
Both brothers started their football careers at Pickerington Central in Ohio. Sonny recorded 88 tackles, one sack, two passes defended and six interceptions – as the stats may show, Sonny Styles was still playing safety at this point.
Loyal to the homeland – performance explosion after retraining
As such, he became a five-star recruit and chose a local college. The Ohio State Buckeyes got the contract.
Despite his undeniable potential, he struggled to find his footing in his first year.
He played almost exclusively on special teams. The following year, however, it was pushed forward a little further. He played in a hybrid safety-linebacker role where he was used all over the field.
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Another year later he was used as a more box-oriented linebacker. This decision was a stroke of luck and was largely responsible for Sonny Styles’ performance exploding.
In 2024, he reached his full potential and recorded 100 tackles, six sacks and five pass breakups. He became one of the few defensive stars who helped the Buckeyes win the National Championship.
Although Ohio State failed to defend the title in 2025, Styles’ performance reached a whole new level, culminating in being named an All-American. His draft stock also continued to rise following his performances over the past two years.
The star of the NFL Combine
The fact that Styles is now considered a safe top ten pick and could possibly even be the first linebacker in the top five since Devin White (5th to the Buccaneers in 2019) is primarily due to the outstanding performances that Styles showed at the NFL Combine in February.
The 21-year-old excelled in both the sprint test and the jumping disciplines.
In the vertical jump, he achieved a whopping 43.5 inches (110.5 cm), which was the highest by an off-ball linebacker at the Combine since 2003 and the second highest of any linebacker during that time – beaten only by Cameron Wake’s jump of 45.5 inches in 2005.
With a stature of 1.96 meters and 110 kilograms, Styles also delivered a time of 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash. There was also a broad jump – basically a long jump – and an outstanding performance in the position drills.
To put Styles’ vertical jump into perspective, it was better than Hall of Fame receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson’s, who hit 42.5 inches in 2007 at a similar height (6’3″, 225 pounds). Styles also surpassed current Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, whose jump of 43 inches was the best at the 2025 Combine.
In the broad jump, he was the only player among defensive linemen and linebackers to break the 11-foot mark this year. Specifically, he jumped 3.40 meters from a standing position.
Versatility personified
“If you look at the great defenses, there are at least two or three guys that can fill a variety of roles,” Styles said during the NFL Combine. “For example, let’s take Nick Emmanwori with the Seahawks this year – he was an extremely versatile player. When you have people like that in your defense, you can do a lot of different things as a coordinator,” said the youngster, emphasizing his own strengths – probably not entirely unconsciously.
Because Styles is not just a physical freak, he is above all versatile, which is of course due to his experiences at college. Even though he was most effective there as a (middle) linebacker, Styles can certainly compete with one or two NFL receivers or tight ends in the passing game. A role in the pass rush is also quite conceivable.
Styles has a high football IQ and great range. He sets secure tackles (only 3 missed tackles in 2025) and has huge potential to improve further thanks to his athleticism.
