Commanders' assistant can't contain his excitement about Sonny Styles

Ken Norton Jr. played linebacker for 13 seasons in the NFL, winning three Super Bowls. After his playing career ended, Norton became a coach. First, in college, where he coached multiple future NFL players, such as Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews III.

In 2010, Norton returned to the NFL, coaching linebackers with the Seattle Seahawks, where he was instrumental in the early development of future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner. So, to say that Norton knows and understands what an elite linebacker is supposed to look like would be an understatement.

Norton is now entering his third season as the linebackers coach for the Washington Commanders. Over the last two years, Norton oversaw a unit led by Wagner, his favorite pupil. With Wagner no longer in Washington, the Commanders used the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to land his replacement: Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.

Norton couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Oh my gosh, I thought there’s no way,” Norton told reporters on Thursday, recalling when Styles fell to the Commanders at No. 7. JP Finlay of 106.7 The Fan couldn’t even finish the question before Norton’s eyes lit up when discussing Styles.

“Every position coach wants their guy. There’s no way he’s gonna be available when we pick, but he was. And it happened, and we were all so excited.”

Norton described Styles in two short words: “He’s perfect.”

Asked Ken Norton about Washington getting Sonny Styles at 7 – “Oh my gosh! I thought there’s no way.” This is awesome, Norton starts smiling as soon as I bring up the draft pic.twitter.com/j88p1muVjp

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 11, 2026

Norton is not far off. At 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, Styles looks like he was built in a lab. After an All-American playing career with the Buckeyes, Styles lit up the NFL combine, running a 4.46 40-yard dash, recording a 43.5″ vertical jump and a 11′ 2″ broad jump.

Additionally, Styles was a beloved teammate at Ohio State and a coach’s dream. If that wasn’t enough, he was essentially born to play football. His dad, Lorenzo, was a two-time All-Big Ten performer at Ohio State before enjoying a six-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl.

Now, Norton gets to coach a player that many believe could be the next great NFL linebacker.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Ken Norton’s reaction to drafting Sonny Styles