Washington Bets on Defense Again: Sonny Styles selected at 7

Well, after making the defensive side of the ball a priority in free agency, Washington also went that way in the first round of the NFL Draft.

The selection of Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State) at seven was perhaps prompted by the Kansas City Chiefs trading up to six to land the most revered cornerback in the draft, Mansoor Delane. It would have been interesting to see if the Commanders would still have selected Styles ahead of Delane.

Is this a win for Washington?

As ever with the draft, only time will tell—the front office likely views Styles as “already a good player aged 21; we feel he is only scratching the surface.”

It might also be good for (a) the development of guys like Luke Medrano and Jordan Magee and (b) allowing Frankie Luvu to play in a ‘simpler role’ (blitz more, shoot gaps, and even line up on the edge, as in the 2024 version of Luvu). Without someone like Styles, Luvu ends up doing things that neutralise his strengths.

The LB room also looks supremely athletic when Styles and Leo Chenal are both on the field at the same time. It has been some time since the burgundy and gold had a youthful and fast LB group, and that is exciting going into the 2026 season.

Any pause for thought?

Styles is young, and the linebacker spot can be a tough one in the National Football League. Whilst not a truly developmental pick, there might still be a few bumps along the way, with Lindy’s Sports noting his “decision-making and field awareness are inconsistent” in their draft evaluation.

Whilst you never want to compare with a player passed over, there will also be many watching the career trajectory of safety Caleb Downs, who went to the Cowboys with the 12th pick—a surprise slide for one of those viewed as the best player in the 2026 draft class.

What next?

It is a bit of a wait for the Commanders’ next selection.

At 71, there are still a variety of needs, which might well include WR, centre, and cornerback.

After such a DEF-heavy free agency, might new OC David Blough want some help on the offensive side of the ball?

A bigger-bodied boundary WR might be on the wish list for Blough, but I sense Adam Peters might still want to see how his past picks of Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane pan out. Centre is a need, and Logan Jones from Iowa might be a technically sound selection for the Commanders. His range is around 60–100, although the weight room might need to be his friend when facing NFL defensive lines.

I also would not rule out edge: Dani Dennis-Sutton is the sort of prototype size for the NFL that Peters loves and is a former five-star recruit. Washington might trust their defensive coaching staff to develop his athletic traits.