The Washington Commanders spent the offseason revamping Dan Quinn's defense after a rough second campaign in DC. The cherry on top of that restoration sundae came on draft night when they swiped do-it-all linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick.
In an interview with the , Quinn touted Styles' versatility and how that can affect the entire defensive unit.
"I think it's rare. ... This type of linebacker; the athletic traits, the speed, the size, the length — it's not an every-year player," Quinn said. "I'm a developmental coach — I can't wait to coach him. He's hungry for it; he wants to improve. Seeing his first couple years at DB and then shifting down to linebacker at the start of the 2024 season, I just felt like this guy's gonna take off. Reps at the position, and like just seeing it more and more, I cannot wait to get rolling with him."
Styles' athletic profile is one scouts drool over, and his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine confirmed the linebacker as a top-10 pick. In Indianapolis, Styles posted absurd numbers that included the highest vertical jump among linebackers (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 among linebackers and included a 1.56-second 10-yard split, also tied for the top split in his position group.
The Combine performance confirmed his freakish athletic profile, and added to a resume that included a stellar final two seasons at Ohio State in which he piled 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 turned him into a tantalizing prospect who drew comparisons to 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, an elite defender capable of making game-changing plays in run defense and pass coverage.
If Styles comes anywhere close to Warner's ability and intelligence in the middle of the defense, it would cement Quinn's giddiness.
The coach said he'll "consider" having Styles wear the Green Dot in practice as a rookie, an indication that Washington is already toying with putting a ton on the rookie's plate. "He is definitely capable of that."
"He has such unique traits to him," Quinn said. "And so, we will play in a lot of zone where we will have vision to the QB and you can imagine this type of speed, this type of length, to be able to close to the ball. Although he hasn't blitzed a ton at Ohio State — (Arvell) Reese was there, as well — the fact that we're going to send this guy as a blitzer. So, I think it's that type of versatility, where we will align him, how we can do that. He's got the football acumen because of his time at safety, the coverage part of his game is intact and so to see him unleashed in some new ways, that's going to be something that I very much look forward to being a part of."
As NFL defenses move closer to positionless football in the back seven, players with Styles' versatility and skill become extremely valuable.
