There’s rarely been a linebacker at the NFL Combine who has generated a universal buzz that Ohio State’s Sonny Styles did last Thursday night in Indianapolis. Three independent scouts, asked separately who the most impressive player at the combine had been, gave the same answer: Sonny Styles. But not everyone is ready to hand him a top-five crown just yet. Will Compton, former NFL linebacker and Nebraska alum, has one very specific problem with the hype.

“I know everyone is high on this Sonny Styles guy. But my only knock on him is that he didn’t have a pick-6. Every great college linebacker has an interception they took back to the house,” Compton wrote on X.

The NFL’s official page posted a hype post on Sonny Styles where they compared his combine stats with other players like wide receiver DK Metcalf and Nick Emmanwori, as he surpassed them both. To that post, Compton replied, making a tough remark over the one thing that he finds missing in him to go at no. 5.

That’s his knock. It’s kind of hard to argue with him on pure principle. During the 2025 season, he recorded 1 interception and 0 interception returns. But that doesn’t suppress the fact that Styles has skills that can fit him perfectly in the Giants’ system. The New York Giants taking in Styles at no. 5 makes the most sense as they are planning to release their veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke. That will free up their $9 million cap and give them a pretty solid chance to take Styles into their team.

But the numbers Styles put on the board at Lucas Oil Stadium make it extremely difficult to stay skeptical for long. At 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, Styles recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump. This was the highest by any player standing 6-foot-4 or taller and weighing 240 or more pounds at the combine since 2003. 

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He paired that with an 11-foot-2-inch broad jump and a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, tying him for the fastest time among linebackers at this year’s combine. For context, the NFL’s official research confirmed he is the only player since 2003 to run a sub-4.5 40-yard dash, post a 40-plus-inch vertical, and record an 11-plus-foot broad jump, all while weighing over 230 pounds. That’s not a good workout. That’s a historically great one.​

Styles’ combine came on the back of an already elite college resume. In the 2025 season, he racked up 82 tackles, one sack, and one interception. His versatility traces back to a unique developmental path. He spent his first two seasons at Ohio State playing safety before converting to linebacker. It gave him a rare blend of a linebacker’s physicality and a safety’s range and instincts in coverage. 

And if Compton’s skepticism doesn’t stop Styles from landing at No. 5 overall, there’s serious money on the table. Last year’s No. 5 pick, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, signed a four-year rookie deal with the Cleveland Browns worth $40.87 million. Styles is staring at a nearly identical payday. He was just one interception return short of quieting every last doubt.

A match written in the playbook

John Harbaugh has always built around elite linebackers. Over 17 seasons in Baltimore, he coached Ray Lewis to a Hall of Fame career, developed C.J. Mosley into a Pro Bowler, and gave Patrick Queen his first four NFL years. That’s a philosophy. Harbaugh’s defense has always been anchored in the middle, and his very first public comments upon arriving in New York made that crystal clear. 

“The inside linebacker isn’t always considered a value position, but you can’t stop the run without an inside linebacker making tackles in the middle,” he said at the combine. “You can’t do it.” For Harbaugh, sitting at pick five and watching Styles’ combine tape must have felt less like a scouting decision and more like a reunion.

What sharpens the fit even further is what Harbaugh is already clearing the deck for. The Giants are expected to release veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke, freeing up roughly $9 million in cap space in the process. That is a sign that the team is actively building toward a new linebacker identity. Former associates of Harbaugh have already told ESPN they view Styles as a perfect fit for what New York is building. 

When the coach who shaped Ray Lewis looks at a 6-foot-5 linebacker running a 4.46, the only real question left is whether teams ahead of the Giants have the nerve, or the need, to take him first.