One glaring reason why drafting LB Sonny Styles in the top 5 is a terrifying idea for the Tennessee Titans

History hasn’t been kind to top linebacker prospects in the NFL Draft, even if Ohio State’s Sonny Styles feels like an outlier.

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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I love Sonny Styles. The Ohio State linebacker is a monster athlete. He’s 6’5 244lbs with a 92nd percentile wingspan. His 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and horizontal jump all eclipse the 95th percentile. He’s big, fast, and explosive. And all of the athletic freakiness shows up on his tape. Oh, and by all accounts, he’s whip smart too. So besides playing off-ball linebacker—a non-premium position—what’s wrong with drafting this guy as early as top-5 in April? History.

Sonny Styles is fighting an uphill battle against LB draft history

ESPN Analyst Field Yates sent Styles to the Titans in his latest pick draft. Here’s part of what he wrote:

“The Titans don’t have a glaring need at pass rush after trading for Jermaine Johnson and signing John Franklin-Myers. But new coach Robert Saleh shouldn’t mind more help at linebacker behind Johnson, Franklin-Myers and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.”

I can’t say I fully agree with the need at pass rusher. Is it still glaring? No, I wouldn’t say glaring anymore. But for the longterm health of this roster build, the Titans absolutely need more at the EDGE position. Particularly, a true wide 9 EDGE with speed.

But that’s what makes the top of this draft interesting. RB Jeremiyah Love continues to be a popular prediction for the Titans at 4, but I’m still not sure GM Mike Borgonzi would pull the trigger on a running back that high. If he opts for one of these top defenders, and Arvell Reese and David Bailey are off the board, could it bring Sonny Styles into the picture?

I won’t entirely rule it out, though it feels highly unlikely. And I think the recent history of top LB prospects is at least a part of that equation. Stats like the one in this tweet paint a pretty clear picture.

Linebacker is just one of those positions where it’s a brutal transition from college to the NFL. The difference in hash placement on the field and level of athletic competition means linebackers are asked to do entirely different things. And for whatever reason, so many of these top prospects—who are almost always the elite of the elite in terms of pure athleticism—have struggled to live up to expectations.

I’m not saying this is the fate Sonny Styles will meet. In fact, I think he’s in a different tier than most all of these guys we’re lumping together as “first round linebackers”. So I think he will be an exception. But at the end of the day, that’s still what you’re banking on when you draft him.

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