Does Commanders' Sonny Styles have the best chance to win DROY?

The Washington Commanders were stoked when Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles was still available in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Commanders used their No. 7 overall pick to scoop up one of the top defensive players in this draft class.

Styles checks the boxes for the Commanders’ desire to get younger and faster on the defensive side of the ball, and the safety-turned-linebacker has some unique qualities for someone his size. At 6’5″ and 244 pounds, Styles can line up almost anywhere on the field. Landing with the Commanders has also put Styles in an ideal situation to earn the Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy in 2026.

Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano named his top five candidates to win this award, and Styles landed at the top of the list.

Styles landed in an ideal situation by getting to work with Commanders coach Dan Quinn, who has a track record of getting the most from versatile linebackers.

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Quinn was instrumental in the careers of Micah Parsons, coaching him in Dallas from 2021 to ’23, and Bobby Wagner, working with him in Seattle from ’13 to ’14 before the two later reunited with the Commanders in ’24. Parsons won Defensive Rookie of the Year under Quinn’s watch, a fruitful partnership because Quinn knew how to best utilize Parsons’s vast skill set. With Wagner, Quinn allowed the future Hall of Famer to play freely as a traditional middle linebacker.

Styles landed in an ideal situation by getting to work with Commanders coach Dan Quinn, who has a track record of getting the most from versatile linebackers.

Quinn was instrumental in the careers of Micah Parsons, coaching him in Dallas from 2021 to ’23, and Bobby Wagner, working with him in Seattle from ’13 to ’14 before the two later reunited with the Commanders in ’24. Parsons won Defensive Rookie of the Year under Quinn’s watch, a fruitful partnership because Quinn knew how to best utilize Parsons’s vast skill set. With Wagner, Quinn allowed the future Hall of Famer to play freely as a traditional middle linebacker.

The other players, in order from second to fifth, are David Bailey, Mansoor Delane, Caleb Downs, and Keldric Faulk.

Over the last seven years, the award has been given to an edge rusher, but last year’s recipient was Carson Schwesinger. He became one of a handful of players drafted outside the first round to win the award, and, as an off-ball linebacker, a rare occurrence.

Styles is going to turn heads in 2026, and he’s going to make a huge impact on the Commanders’ defense. Getting to work with Dan Quinn will send Styles’ career trajectory in the right direction. Once he picks up what Quinn is teaching him, what Daronte Jones is teaching him, he’s going to be really hard to stop.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles has best chance to win DROY