Will Sonny Styles Fall Out of the Top 10? Biggest 2026 NFL Mock Draft Trends Right Now

Sonny Styles looks like one of the biggest game-changers available in the 2026 NFL draft.

Despite the uber-talented Ohio State linebacker being widely regarded as one of the top overall prospects on the board, there isn't a consensus on where he'll come off the board during draft day.

While off-ball linebackers generally aren't valued as highly as quarterbacks and edge-rushers, it would still be shocking for Styles to slip outside the top 10 of the 2026 draft.

He's the No. 6 overall prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board and rates as the No. 2 player at his position, earning a grade fractionally lower than Buckeyes teammate Arvell Reese.

According to many draft experts, Styles' ceiling seems to be No. 5 overall with the New York Giants. It's a spot where nearly 40 percent of all mocks tracked by NFL Mock Draft Database have the linebacker going, including those from The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and Dane Brugler.

The G-Men make plenty of sense for Styles. John Harbaugh will want to prioritize defensive upgrades during his first draft and his inherited roster has a gaping hole at the linebacker spot that Styles could capably fill. According to NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton, he reportedly "impressed" during his meeting with the Giants at the combine and may have cemented a top-five selection with that interview.

Styles is a fantastic fit on paper for the new regime in New York given Harbaugh has a long history of cultivating elite linebackers. During his 18-year tenure as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, he acquired, developed and deployed Pro Bowlers such as Ray Lewis, CJ Mosely, Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith with great effectiveness.

Despite the fit, it's far from guaranteed Styles will land in the Big Apple. Other experts foresee him coming off the board a bit later.

The B/R Scouting Department has Styles dropping two picks past the Giants, joining the Washington Commanders at No. 7 overall. B/R scout Matt Holder noted that Washington "could use a linebacker who can drop in coverage" and highlighted the converted safety's elite tackling ability as a trait that makes him a worthy replacement for Bobby Wagner.

The New Orleans Saints could make a run at Styles with their No. 8 overall pick. During a three-round mock draft between ESPN's Kiper, Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates, the latter analyst elected to stop Styles' fall when he was making New Orleans' selection. While the Saints aren't desperate for linebacking help after inking Kaden Elliss to a three-year extension, Yates believes Styles is too "exceptional" to drop beyond that point.

2026 NFL Mock Draft

1: Las Vegas Raiders — QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

2: New York Jets — LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

3: Arizona Cardinals — Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech

4: Tennessee Titans — RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

5: New York Giants — LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

6: Cleveland Browns — WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

7: Washington Commanders — S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

8: New Orleans Saints — Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

9: Kansas City Chiefs — WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

10: Cincinnati Bengals — CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

11: Miami Dolphins — OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

12: Dallas Cowboys — CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

13: Los Angeles Rams (via ATL) — OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami

14: Baltimore Ravens — IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — DL Keldric Faulk, Auburn

16: New York Jets (via IND) — WR Makai Lemon, USC

17: Detroit Lions — OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

18: Minnesota Vikings — OT Spencer Fano, Utah

19: Carolina Panthers — TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

20: Dallas Cowboys (via GB) — S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

21: Pittsburgh Steelers — LB CJ Allen, Georgia

22: Los Angeles Chargers — IOL Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

23: Philadelphia Eagles — Edge Malachi Lawrence, UCF

24: Cleveland Browns (via JAX) — OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

25: Chicago Bears — S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

26: Arizona Cardinals — QB Ty Simpson, Alabama

27: San Francisco 49ers — WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

28: Houston Texans — DL Peter Woods, Clemson

29: Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR) — Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson

30: Miami Dolphins (via DEN) — CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

31: New England Patriots — OT Blake Miller, Clemson

32: Seattle Seahawks — CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State

Not every expert believes Styles' promising pro prospects make him a lock for the early portion of Round 1. His floor may even be outside of the top 10 entirely, with the Dallas Cowboys at No. 12 overall shaping up to be his safety net.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com was one of the analysts who has Dallas taking Styles near the midpoint of Day 1, calling the selection a "jackpot" for the club.

While Zierlein did acknowledge the potential for Styles to be long gone by the time the Cowboys are on the clock, he also foresaw the possibility of a draft-night slide. If Big Blue declines to take him at No. 5 and other teams eschew a trade-up, Styles would be a home run pick for Dallas in this slot—giving the team one of the best-in-class prospects at a position of major need.

The odds of Styles still being available past the top 10 are slim, though, especially after he had such an impressive pre-draft process this spring.

In his scouting report for Styles, Holder praised his impressive athleticism, movement skills and speed.

The 21-year-old put those traits on full display at the combine, blitzing through the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and showcasing an absurd 43.5-inch vertical leap. The vertical was the best test from an off-ball linebacker since 2003 and the second-best of any linebacker since Cameron Wake in 2005.

While the 6'5", 244-pounder bested Calvin Johnson's combine jump, he's not just a workout warrior. He was immensely productive during his tenure with the Buckeyes, earning second-team All-American honors in 2025 thanks to a team-high 82 tackles (6.5 for a loss). He also contributed three pass breakups, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception in his 14 starts.

He may not have the sky-high upside of Reese or the instincts and versatility that Caleb Downs—another Ohio State teammate projected to come off the board early in Round 1—brings to the table, but Styles is a gifted player who can singlehandedly transform a defense at the next level.

His rare combination of skill, size and athleticism should be far too alluring for each of the teams selecting in the top 10 (and potentially even the top five) to pass over.