Sonny Styles soars at combine and lays out what he still needs to sharpen
sonny styles stunned scouts in Indianapolis with a 43 1/2-inch vertical at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and an 11-foot-2 broad jump, performances that intensified talk about his likely first-round standing as teams evaluate him ahead of the April draft.
Sonny Styles' historic jumps and sub-4. 5 speed
At the combine on Thursday, the 6-5, 244-pound linebacker posted a 43 1/2-inch vertical — the highest vertical by any player 6-4 or taller and any player weighing 240 or more pounds at the combine since at least 2003. He followed that with an 11-foot-2 broad jump that led all participants on Thursday and ranks among the best recent linebacker marks, topped only in recent years by Jamie Collins (11-7 in 2013), Bud Dupree (11-6 in 2015) and Willie Gay Jr. (11-4 in 2020) among linebackers.
Styles also ran a 40-yard dash in 4. 46 seconds, which tied his Buckeyes teammate Arvell Reese for the fastest time among the defensive linemen and linebackers who participated on Thursday. NFL Research found Styles is the only player since 2003 to combine a sub-4. 5 40-yard dash with a 40+ inch vertical and an 11+ foot broad jump while weighing 230 or more pounds.
How the numbers stack up and a note on stat lines
Combine measurements amplified the pre-existing buzz: Styles entered the week already drawing talk as a potential top-10 pick, and some observers suggested his Thursday workout could cement that status in April. One summary placed him No. 5 on a recent top-50 prospects list and compared him favorably to San Francisco's Fred Warner; Styles spoke about that comparison on Wednesday.
There are small discrepancies in the season stat lines circulating: one account lists 83 tackles, a 1. 0 sack, a forced fumble, an interception and three passes defensed for this past season, while another summary gives 82 tackles (6. 5 for losses), one sack and one forced fumble in 14 starts. The two combine reports also note slightly different listed weights for Styles: 6-5, 243-pound in one piece and 6-5, 244-pound in another.
Comparisons, reactions and a viral line
Reaction to Styles' workout spilled into social posts and draft talk. One social post delivered a string of shorthand comparisons — Taller than Mike Evans; Faster than George Pickens; Quicker than Patrick Peterson; Jumps higher than Davante Adams; More explosive than Derwin James Jr.; Heavier than Trent Cole — and another post called the simulcam "a low blow" before adding, "Sonny is 1 of 1 tho!" A separate note: a comparison to Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton drew attention from a Baltimore All-Pro on Thursday night.
What he says he still must improve
Styles spent an early Wednesday morning holding court with reporters at the draft workouts and emphasized he wants to show teams he understands his own weaknesses. He said he wants to demonstrate he is an "intelligent football player, " not just someone who runs and hits, and identified zone coverage and increased ball disruption as areas he plans to work on. He added that being a taller linebacker can lead to his pad level rising on certain plays and that he watches film to hold himself accountable for that.
Styles pointed to his start as a safety and his experience calling plays for a national championship-winning Buckeyes team as reasons for his coverage instincts and play-calling comfort. He described himself as versatile — able to play Mike, Will or Sam — and said comfort calling plays grows with time in the building and by earning the trust of the defensive line and teammates. He shared that his linebackers coach at Ohio State, James Laurinaitis, who played eight years in the NFL, sent him a text when the Buckeyes moved him from safety to linebacker that read, "Hey man, you're going to be a first-round linebacker. "
In other combine notes, coverage of the week also highlighted that Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. 's arms measured 30 and 7/8 inches; other prospects' drills and decisions were part of the broader scouting-week narrative.
The combine has given teams fresh, measurable data and left Sonny Styles with both a sharper draft pitch and a clear list of skills he says he will polish before the draft in April.
