Will Commanders' defender win another rookie of the year award in 2026?

The Washington Commanders have had an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (Jayden Daniels, 2024) and an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (Chase Young, 2020) in the last six years. Could Washington add another award-winning rookie in 2026?

Linebacker Sonny Styles enters the NFL with plenty of fanfare this season. The No. 7 overall pick out of Ohio State is coming off an All-American season and one of the best individual NFL combine performances in years. He played in Washington’s first two preseason games, but not enough for fans to see his full potential. That was by design.

As part of their 2026 season preview, ESPN recently looked at the rookie class, with analysts making predictions on who would win the offensive and defensive rookie of the year awards.

Styles was the pick for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

It’s how Washington plans to use Styles that makes his case intriguing. The Commanders will want to take advantage of his ability on blitzes after Styles generated pressure on 20% of his blitz opportunities at Ohio State. He also had the lowest missed-tackle rate among linebackers in this draft class. That gives the No. 7 pick multiple ways to build a DROY résumé: tackles, sacks and impact plays.

It’s how Washington plans to use Styles that makes his case intriguing. The Commanders will want to take advantage of his ability on blitzes after Styles generated pressure on 20% of his blitz opportunities at Ohio State. He also had the lowest missed-tackle rate among linebackers in this draft class. That gives the No. 7 pick multiple ways to build a DROY résumé: tackles, sacks and impact plays.

ESPN predicted that Styles would finish with 129 tackles as a rookie in 2026.

Styles’ former college teammate Arvell Reese came in at No. 2, while Bears safety Dillon Thieneman was No. 3. Surprisingly, Styles’ other former college teammate, safety Caleb Downs, wasn’t among the top five. That seems hard to believe, as Downs is expected to have a big rookie season for the Cowboys.

So, can Styles become Washington’s latest rookie of the year? The Commanders open the 2026 season next Sunday at Philadelphia.