New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Strengths

• Elite size and length for the position – 97th percentile height
• 92nd percentile wingspan – LONG!
• Elite athlete with elite explosiveness, speed, and acceleration 
• Sideline-to-sideline range – BURST!
• Covers so much space with size+speed 
• Sufficient fluidity and change of direction skills
• Elite communicator at the LOS
• Very high football IQ
• Solid vision in the tackle-box
• Very good run defender in the box
• Quick trigger downhill to fill and meet climbing OL early
• Tough and physical in the box
• Devastating defender to read in Z/R
• 2024 to 2025 block shedding improved
• Excellent ability to get outside the box
• Stays square to target with elite sifting ability through trash
• Brings violence to the tackle point
• Elite tackling ability – wrap up and drive to the deck
• Excellent pursuit defender form the backside
• Strong play-side ability to shed/finish
• Above average blitzing ability 
• Solid man coverage skills vs. quicker receivers
• Matches well against tight ends in man coverage
• Elite length allows him to close throwing windows well
• Solid zone coverage ability, albeit fooled a few times
• Elite versatility allows defense to stay varied
• A true three down linebacker with a multi-faceted skill-set
• Still upside due to lack of experience 
• Leader who wore the GREEN DOT for Matt Patricia

Weaknesses

• Not deficient fluidity, but not the most fluid either 
• Could improve run blocking recognition 
• Quick when diagnosed but hesitated a few times
• Is not bad in zone coverage, but lost responsibility a few times
• Can be overaggressive against play action 
• Not a ton of experience playing LB

Summary

Sonny Styles has an elite size + athletic profile and his best football has yet to be played, but that doesn’t mean he is purely a projection.

Yes, Sonny Styles has only played two seasons at linebacker and is new to the position, but he won a National Championship as a linebacker and wore the Green Dot in a complex Matt Patricia coached defense. He is a very smart and talented young man with elite physical tools.

Styles' progression from 2024 to 2025 as a linebacker was evident, and his tackling mechanics highlighted this, as did his ability to quickly process and fit the run, while shedding and maintaining his gap-responsibility at beyond a competent level.

Not only is Styles physical in the box, but his sideline-to-sideline range allowed him to be excellent in pursuit from the backside. He is a dangerous read defender and does an excellent job diagnosing plays around the line of scrimmage.  

He has some stiffness in his lower-half, but is fluid enough to mirror/match tight ends in coverage, but may struggle against the shorter Wan’Dale Robinson types, which isn’t a surprise given Styles’ massive size. Few players possess his size/speed, while showing a comprehension to play the run as well as he did through two seasons with the Buckeyes. 

One of the more intriguing aspects of Styles is his versatility that doesn’t appear to come at the expense of his competence at linebacker.

His presence allows creative defensive coordinators to bestow a wide range of responsibility onto Styles, whose ability allowed him to execute those assignments at a high rate in the Big-Ten.

Projecting that skill forward isn’t always easy, but the young man has the correct temperament and mentality to be translate his college effectiveness to the next level, especially if he continues his upward trajectory of development.

Overall, Sonny Styles is a rare athletic prototype with good stack & shed technique and excellent range as a linebacker, who can also be effectively used across the defensive front.

He was inconsistent – at times – with his reads, but that’s me nitpicking. Styles will be an impact player in the NFL – one who can thrive with a creative and adaptive defensive coordinator. 

GRADE: 6.85

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