The Tennessee Titans Case For Sonny Styles

With the NFL draft only days away, teams have lots of things on their mind. This draft is shaping to be one of the wildest ones in recent memory; nobody knows how the board will fall.

One player that has quietly made his way up the draft board is linebacker Sonny Styles out of Ohio State University. Styles has had a fascinating career in college, as he was initially commited as a safety and was the team's starter at that position for the 2023 season. While in college he earned First-Team All-American honors for the 2025 season, as well as Second-Team All Big Ten in 2024.

The impact styles could make for a defense is obvious; he has versatility and size that a defense would love. He stands at 6'5, which is tall for a middle linebacker in the NFL, while still maintaining a 4.46 40-yard dash time. With his background at the safety position he is extremely refined in both man and zone coverage, but still is good at defending the run. He is athletic and strong, which will prove useful in the open field. Styles has the makings to be a true green dot for a defense.

So what would the Titans' reasoning be for draft Styles in the first round?

Reports have come out recently indicating the possibility of the Titans skipping out on an edge rusher in the first round, so if running back Jeremiyah Love is off the board at three to the Arizona Cardinals, Styles may be the choice.

Robert Saleh's defensive scheme has gone away from the traditional MIKE linebacker that is big and bulky in favor of smaller, more agile guys who can shoot gaps and cover ground. The good news with Styles is that, despite his large stature, he still has the speed to satisfy Saleh's preferences and is on the lighter side for his height.

If the Titans were to make a swing on Styles in the first, it would be locking up there inside linebacker core for the foreseeable future with two young studs. Styles paired with Cedric Gray would be a nightmare for offenses.

While inside linebacker is not the number one need for the Tennessee Titans, Styles is worth a glance for general manager Mike Borgonzi.