History Has Already Been Made at the NFL Combine
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles made history on the first day of workouts at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Simply put: No one his size has run and jumped the way he did Thursday in Indianapolis.
Eye-popping numbers
Styles weighed in at 244 pounds and was measured at 6-foot-5.
That’s fairly impressive to begin with, but then he hit the field at Lucas Oil Stadium and ran a blistering 40-yard dash.
His official time of 4.46 tied Ohio State teammate Arvell Reese for the fastest by those who ran Thursday (linebackers and defensive linemen), but that’s not all.
Styles also made history with his 43.5-inch vertical jump. That was the highest at the combine by a player over 6-4 weighing more than 240 pounds since at least 2003, according to NFL.com.
Then he posted an 11-2 broad jump, a figure that ranks fourth among linebackers in the last six years.
Put it all together, and Styles is a unique prospect: NFL Research found him to be the only player to run a 40-yard dash in less than 4.5 seconds with a vertical of more than 40 inches plus a broad jump of more than 11 feet at 230 or more pounds since 2003.
Players to run sub-4.5 with a 40+ inch vertical and a 11+ foot broad jump at 230+ pounds since 2003…
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) February 27, 2026
2026 Sonny Styles (244 pounds)@OhioStateFB
Styles is not just a workout warrior
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares Styles to veteran linebacker Fred Warner, and it sounds like that is something Styles would like to hear.
Men’s Journal was on hand on Wednesday when Styles named Warner among two players whose style he admires.
“I really like the way Fred Warner plays,” said Styles, who noted Warner played safety in college.
“He's obviously a very athletic guy, played (middle linebacker) for the 49ers. He does such a good job playing sideline to sideline, running the middle — whatever it may be. He's physical. You can see he's a smart football player by the way he anticipates the game.
“And then another one in the past, always admired with Luke Kuechly. Similar frame. He's about 6-3, 245 as well. Super good athlete.”
READ MORE: 5 things to know about the 2026 NFL Combine
Styles was a five-star recruit coming out of Pickerington Central High School in Ohio in 2022 as the son of former Ohio State/NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr.
He graduated early so he could get a jump on his college career and began as a safety for the Buckeyes before becoming a full-time linebacker in 2024.
He made the All-Big Ten second team that season, then earned first-team All-America honors in 2025 when he served as a captain and was credited with 82 tackles, including 6.5 for loss.
Styles is seeking to be the 12th Ohio State linebacker drafted in the first round since 1960. The last was Darron Lee in 2016.
Styles’ father was picked in the third round by the Atlanta Falcons in 1995. He ultimately played six seasons in the NFL and was part of the St. Louis Rams team that won the Super Bowl in 1999.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. is also an NFL Draft prospect this year as a defensive back from Ohio State.