General manager Adam Peters spoke glowingly about Ohio State prospect Sonny Styles during a conversation with Kay Adams on the Up and Adams Show at the annual league meetings. And now, the Washington Commanders have officially shown their hand.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Commanders are hosting Styles on a pre-draft visit. This shouldn't come as a great surprise to fans, and it puts the impressive linebacker firmly in contention at No. 7 overall. However, it's also no shock that Washington is not the only team looking to find out a little more about the second-level enforcer.
Rapoport also revealed that Styles has already visited the Dallas Cowboys (No. 12) and the New York Jets (No. 2, No. 16). He's also scheduled to meet with the Cincinnati Bengals, who pick at No. 10 overall.
Commanders are high on Sonny Styles, but he might not be around at No. 7
It's not hard to see why so many teams at the top end would be enamored with Styles. He's a three-level threat capable of setting the tone through a unique blend of size, athleticism, and well-rounded traits. Positional importance could come into play, but this is not a draft in which Peters should turn down legitimate difference-makers.
Of course, it'll be an anxious wait for Peters if the Commanders key in on Styles as their guy. It's an extremely unpredictable top 10 after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders. Washington's front-office leader admitted to being unclear about how things will play out, but he will be ready to react accordingly.
Styles might be long gone by the time Washington goes on the clock. He's got the talent, and several above the Commanders have defensive needs. The prospect's historic performance at the NFL Scouting Combine means this could go either way, but Peters and head coach Dan Quinn want to find out as much as possible about him on the off chance he falls into their lap.
The Commanders currently have Frankie Luvu, Jordan Magee, and free-agent signing Leo Chenal as their linebacker options. It doesn't seem as if veteran Bobby Wagner will be returning, though the door hasn't been entirely closed. But with Magee still representing an unknown quantity, and Luvu entering the final year of his deal, Peters won't hesitate to make Styles the long-term focal point if he believes it's the right thing to do.
Bringing in Styles for a pre-draft visit confirms the Commanders' worst-kept secret. They love him, and if Peters gets the chance, this could be the guy at No. 7.
Nobody would be complaining too much about that, either.