Leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, NewYorkJets.com will examine some of this year's "Perfect Fits" for the Green & White, according to draft analysts on "the "Now Boarding" draft show.
NFL Stock Exchange co-host Trevor Sikkema's choice: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
The Player
There are few draft prospects if any who've had a better offseason than Ohio State LB Sonny Styles. While his game tape was outstanding, Styles went to the NFL Combine in February and lit it up. Styles (6-5, 244) showed he had no physical ceiling with a 43.5-inch vertical jump, a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash and a 11-2 broad jump.
"Even for a player I already had sky-high expectations for, for him to live up to those and even exceed those in some ways just goes to show what a special prospect this guy is," Sikkema said in March. "There is a chance he winds up as my No. 1 overall player in this class, I think he is that good. You see him at Ohio State and they list him around 6-5, 240 pounds, but we know schools can sometimes lie about things like that, fabricating like a dating profile, make sure that they're rounding up on all of those numbers. But he showed up a legit 6-5, a legit over 240 pounds. His 43.5- inch vertical jump was the highest mark of any player at any position since 1999 who weighed more than 240 pounds. So, he's got rare-air athleticism not just for the linebacker position but for any athlete who has come through over the last 25 years. And any time you can say that -- that's truly a special player."
Styles earned first-team All-American honors as a senior, leading OSU in tackles with 82 and solo stops (46). He was also credited with 6.5 TFL, 3 pass breakups and 1 INT. Even though the Buckeyes dropped a 13-10 decision to Indiana in the Big 10 Championship game, Styles left his mark on the field with 12 tackles. The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked Styles as his No. 4 overall prospect in "The Beast."
The Background
A three-year starter at Ohio State and the green dot linebacker in 2025, Styles transitioned to LB his junior campaign. He played safety his first two seasons in Columbus, appearing in 23 games and collecting 62 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2 sacks. He started 30 games his final two seasons, amassing 182 tackles, 17 TFL, 7 sacks, 8 PD, 2 FF and 1 INT. A first-team All-America performer as a senior, Styles was the recipient of the Buckeyes' Block "O" Award and No. 0 jersey for toughness, accountability and the highest of character.
"I cannot find anybody that I'm talking to, whether they're in the league or covering this from a media side, who has anything negative at all to say whatsoever about who he is also between the ears and who he is as a person," Sikkema said. "This is a true leader type of player and somebody who can bring everything to the table at that spot."
Sonny Styles' father, Lorenzo Sr., was an All-Big Ten linebacker for Ohio State (1992-94) and played six seasons in the NFL. Brugler wrote that Alexander "Sonny" Styles got his nickname from his dad at age 2 because Lorenzo Jr. was nicknamed "Son" and it was also in honor of James Caan's character in "The Godfather." Styles attended Pickerington (OH) Central HS, graduated early and the five-star recruit was the top safety in the 2022 class
The Fit
The Jets upgraded their room this offseason with the free agent signing of Demario Davis. He'll become central command and the green dot LB backer for a defense in transition. Jamien Sherwood, the Jets 2024 Team MVP, totaled 312 tackles the past two seasons in addition to 4 sacks and 11 PDs. Kiko Mauigoa, a fifth-round pick last spring, had 40 defensive tackles and 5 special teams stops his rookie campaign.
Styles has a lot of special qualities. Sikkema has compared him to 49ers LB Fred Warner, a four-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler. While Warner was a third-round pick (No. 70 overall) out of BYU in 2018, Styles will likely be a top 10 or top 5 pick overall. The Jets could take a long look at him at No. 2, but they'd likely have to trade back up from No. 16 overall to be Sonny styling in Round 1.
"I think it might be [LB] Sonny Styles," Sikkema said of this perfect match for the Jets. "I can't compare a guy to Fred Warner, and then at No. 2 overall, be like, 'yeah, let's pick an edge instead.' If I honestly think that this guy has Fred Warner potential, it's so hard for me to not select him. ... He is somebody that I think is sort of that red star type of a player."
