The Washington Commanders will be on the field one more time this preseason. But for most key contributors, they likely won't be suiting up again until Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
And for No. 7 overall pick Sonny Styles, it might be a long few weeks as the linebacker awaits his chance to make an impact.
Styles has quickly become the target of mass online criticism — consider this his welcome to the toxicity that comes with being an NFL pro.
Sonny Styles has become an easy target online, but it shouldn't matter to the Commanders
If a high draft pick isn't an All-Pro the moment they strap on a helmet, the engagement bait crowd is chomping at the bit for those precious clicks. Styles is a target, but the criticism is comical.
All things considered, there are no alarm bells sounding with Styles. And when it comes to what really matters in evaluating his performance, everybody seems to have it all backward.
Styles hasn't made any ESPN SportsCenter top 10-worthy plays yet, and that's okay. As JP Finlay and Washington legend Brian Mitchell discussed on 106.7 The Fan, it's the little things that matter right now for the Ohio State product.
"That position is not built on flash plays. And what people want to see in preseason, where the guy plays 18 snaps or whatever, it's like 'Show me a flash.' He's not a receiver. He's not a quarterback. He's not a running back. You want durability, a guy that's there every week that's logging 11, 12 tackles a week. That's what you're looking for from Styles."
Finlay didn't hold back on the keyboard warriors, specifically calling out those who have been shamelessly targeting Styles for attention. And he is absolutely right to defend the first-round selection.
Against the Detroit Lions, the rookie was the subject of much scrutiny for his positioning on quarterback Joshua Dobbs' 50-yard touchdown run. However, Styles was far from the only one who bit on that particular play.
Styles has played 18 snaps in the preseason. He's competing against grown men for the first time in his life. He is going to go through some trial and error. He's not going to be prime Lawrence Taylor this season.
And that's fine.
The athleticism alone makes him a player with tremendously high long-term upside. Right now, Styles just needs to settle down a little bit and let the game come to him. That will happen as he gains experience, and his growing pains are completely normal for a rookie.
With Styles, it's all about getting reps and learning the ropes of NFL competition.
We'll worry about the rest later.
Add us as a preferred source on Google