Washington had realized that neither of them would likely be there when he reached No. 7 overall. Love went No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals, but things started to fall into place for the Commanders at No. 4, when the Tennessee Titans surprisingly selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. That led to another former Buckeye, linebacker Arvell Reese, falling to the New York Giants at No. 5. Barring a trade at No. 6, Styles seemed headed to Washington.
Advertisement
There was a trade, but the Kansas City Chiefs traded up for LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, believing the Commanders and the New Orleans Saints, who picked No. 8, were a threat to land the best cornerback in the draft. While Washington liked Delane, there was no way general manager Adam Peters would pass on Styles if he fell into his lap at the No. 7 spot.
He did it. Everyone was delighted with the choice. Styles’ selection has been universally praised in the NFL.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando recently reviewed all 32 draft classes from the 2026 NFL Draft. For each team, he spoke with anonymous NFL executives. Let’s say an NFL executive has a high comparison for Styles.
“He’s Bobby Wagner, but bigger and faster,” said one executive. “He has the best traits for an internal sponsor I’ve ever seen.”
Advertisement
Wagner isn’t the only lofty comparison for Styles.
“Brian Urlacher, maybe,” the executive said when asked if there was a comparison. “He’s 6-5, 240 pounds and will run a 4.4. He’s really smart, makes all the calls, very instinctive and has an untapped ability to rush the passer. He was in the top five on our board the entire time.”
Wagner is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because he is still an active player. The Commanders know him well, as he was their starter at middle linebacker for the past two years. But Wagner is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
As for Urlacher, that comparison makes a lot of sense. Urlacher was of similar size (6-foot-4, 258), ran a fast 40-yard dash and played some safety in college. He would play 13 years in the NFL, is a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and much more. It’s safe to say the Commanders would be thrilled if Styles came close to matching the careers of Wagner or Urlacher.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: NFL executive with high comparison for Sonny Styles