Daniel Jeremiah Projects Ohio State Star Sonny Styles to Commanders in Mock Draft

ASHBURN, Va. — Everywhere you turn these days, there’s a mock draft telling you who the Washington Commanders might take in the first round and why. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is one of the few I actually pay attention to, however, and in his first attempt this offseason, he sends Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles to the DMV.

“Styles reminds me of Fred Warner, who was drafted by the 49ers when current Commanders GM Adam Peters was an executive in San Francisco’s front office. Keep in mind that Bobby Wagner is 35 and headed for free agency,” Jeremiah says in his synopsis of the pick.

Bobby Wagner’s uncertain future

Wagner is not only headed to free agency, but is also of the age where we start to wonder if he’s played his last snap in the NFL, not just in Washington.

In his second season reunited with head coach Dan Quinn and linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., Wagner collected 162 total tackles and became just the third in NFL history to hit the 2,000 tackle mark, joining legends like London Fletcher and Ray Lewis.

When asked at the end of the 2025 season if he had put any thought into the future of his playing days, Wagner said he hadn’t taken the time to think much about it, and would do so in the offseason.

The Commanders have been grooming linebacker Jordan Magee for the past two years, but as of yet, he’s a young, athletic defender who is untested as the leader of the defense, thanks to Wagner’s presence.

Nov 22, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles (0) tackles Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) during the first quarter at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Why Styles fits the mold

That’s not to say Magee doesn’t have leadership experience; he was a coach selected and later player-voted leader of the Temple Owls football program during his time there, much as Styles became a leader in Columbus during his time with the Buckeyes.

In his four seasons, Styles has played in at least 10 games each year, and his role grew to a full-fledged leadership role on one of the best defenses in college football in 2025.

In his junior season, in which he and Ohio State captured the National Championship in a win over Notre Dame, Styles hit the 100-tackle mark and had 10.5 sacks as an off-ball linebacker. In his senior season, teams paid more attention to him, but he still collected 82 tackles and 6.5 sacks while playing two fewer games after his team’s first-round exit from the college football playoffs.

Unlocking Jordan Magee

Selecting Styles in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft would all but identify him as the heir to Wagner’s throne as the quarterback of the defense, and allow whoever becomes the next defensive coordinator of the Commanders to use Magee’s athleticism without burdening him with the responsibility of setting the group on top of it.

While some would view it as a hindrance to Magee’s rise, the combination of him and Styles, especially if Wagner doesn’t return, would help further unlock the athletic profile of the defense in Washington and allow it to play fast and aggressively in 2026.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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