Why Drafting Sonny Styles Was an Easy Decision for Commanders GM Adam Peters

Adam Peters knew what he had to do for the Washington Commanders in the NFL Draft after a successful free agency period, and he did just that – continuing the process of adding depth and elite players who have high ceilings and major versatility.

No pick represented that outlook better than the first-round, seventh-overall selection of Sonny Styles.

Styles is expected to immediately come into the DMV and contribute to a revamped defense now led by defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. And when speaking on NFL Network, Peters described why it was such an easy decision to take the former Ohio State linebacker seventh overall.

All Boxes Checked

"Sonny checks all the boxes right away. Just in terms of the person, the football character, the intelligence, everything you would want off the field, the leadership. You talk to guys at Ohio State, the coaches, his teammates, they all revere him as a person, as a young man," said Peters.

"And then obviously you see the type of specimen he is," Peters continued. "He's six-five, he runs a 4.4, he's an incredible sideline-to-sideline defender, a guy who's for today's NFL. He makes the field smaller, he can blitz, he can cover, he can tackle, he does everything really well. For us, it was a pretty easy decision when he was still on the board. Didn't have to think too hard when he was still there."

The Block O

The character and leadership qualities are something that obviously stick out when you talk about Styles, as mentioned by Peters. The respect from his peers and coaches was good enough to earn him the honor of wearing the No. 0 for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2025, which recognizes a player who exemplifies the program's values of toughness, accountability, and high character.

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles (0) | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

A rather new tradition, after being instituted in 2020 by head coach Ryan Day as a way to utilize the then-newly allowed jersey number zero, the staff typically awards the number to a veteran in their fourth or fifth seasons of eligibility after having faced adversity in their career, and those who represent the culture of the team.

Styles joins a short list of Buckeyes who have had the honor of wearing the jersey and will look to carry over his leadership and high-quality character to the Commanders' defense.

Football Acumen

Styles' leadership qualities are undeniable, and those intangibles are likely what allowed him to be taken so high in the draft. However, he is also one hell of a player on the field.

As Peters once again pointed out, Styles can do it all between the numbers and was undoubtedly the best off-ball linebacker coming out of college.

After starting his career at safety, Styles made the switch to linebacker as he entered his Junior year at Ohio State, where he would go on to become a National Champion and All-American player. His experience of playing both safety and linebacker should help him tremendously at the next level.

Styles wasn't always perfect, sometimes having trouble in certain areas like tackling, until his Senior season. But, it goes to show that he won't sit around and wait for changes to happen, but rather that he is willing to put in the work to make sure that he is able to produce at the highest level he possibly can.

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