The 2026 NFL draft has been labeled as a "weak" class compared to recent years, but every draft has premier talents that could change a team's outlook. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in need of such a player, but picking No. 21 overall will make finding one a tall task. However, thanks to many teams' focus on positional value, great football players who just happen to play a less valuable position often fall down draft boards.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is the exact type of player that fits that mold. Despite an incredible 2025 season for the Buckeyes, determining how high he could ultimately be drafted has been one of the toughest things to figure out for draft analysts this offseason.
After his performance at the NFL Combine on Thursday, however, any chance of a draft day slide anywhere close to the Steelers' pick at 21 is next to zero.
Sonny Styles puts up a historic NFL Combine performance, dashing any hope that the Pittsburgh Steelers could draft him
Styles arrived in Indianapolis for the Combine with huge expectations, but he still managed to surprise even his biggest supporters with the show he put on.
A 43.5" vertical jump, 11'2" broad jump, and a blazing 4.46 40-yard dash all done at 6'5" and 244 pounds made Styles one of the best testers in the history of the event. His agility numbers were just good, not great, but he still ended up with one of the best RAS (Relative Athletic Score) scores for a linebacker ever recorded.
Sonny Styles is a LB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.99 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 4 out of 3216 LB from 1987 to 2026.
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 27, 2026
Split projected, bench tomorrow. Just good agility drills wasn't enough to hold that 10.00.https://t.co/aKcBrwdovJ pic.twitter.com/KwIRH3MlcD
Steelers fans might not want to hear it, considering the resources the team has spent on the linebacker position, but it's one of the weaker spots on the roster as of now. Patrick Queen has been average at best since signing his three-year, $41 million contract back in 2024, and 2024 third-round pick Payton Wilson took a step back last year after a promising rookie season.
Regardless of whether the Steelers keep Queen around past this season and what Wilson looks like in 2026, finding a true difference-maker at linebacker could pay huge dividends for new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Styles absolutely fits that mold, but any chance of even getting in range for a potential trade-up from pick 21 seems long gone.
Even playing a position with a high bust rate in the first round, Styles' overwhelming athleticism, combined with his age (21) and excellent tape, make him worthy of a top 10 pick in a weaker class. Had he tested like a good or even great athlete, opposed to an elite one, then he may have lasted into the teens, where Pittsburgh could potentially move up for him.
Instead, he will be roaming the middle of a different teams defense for years to come.