Earlier this month, Danny Kelly of The Ringer presented his 2026 NFL draft. The Carolina Panthers own the 19th overall pick in April, quite a change from a year ago when a 5-12 finish resulted in the franchise owning the eighth selection. The team has used first-round picks on wide receivers in both 2024 (Xavier Legette) and 2025 (Tetairoa McMillan). Kelly has them adding some talent on the other side of the ball via the addition of versatile defender Sonny Styles.
“The Panthers address their linebacker group here by grabbing the rangy Styles,” said Kelly, “The Buckeyes ’backer brings a scintillating combination of athleticism and length, and he’s always around the ball. Styles racked up 21.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, nine passes defensed, and three forced fumbles over the past three seasons for Ohio State. He’s comfortable in space, can play both the pass and the run, and is explosive when closing on the ballcarrier.”
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles (0) pressures Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) during the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. Ohio State lost 13-10. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The safety/tuned linebacker played in 53 games for the Buckeyes, and his big year came during Ohio State’s national championship campaign in 2024. In 16 outings, he amassed 100 tackles, six sacks, five passes defensed, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The 6’5”, 243-pound performer had drawn comparisons (via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein) to San Francisco 49ers’ star Fred Warner.
Carolina’s defense did a much better job against the run in 2025, allowing 123.3 yards per game. That was quite the contrast from the previous season, in which Dave Canales’s club surrendered an NFL-high 179.8 yards per outing on the ground. And adding a performer like Styles brings a big-game performer to a team that just reached the playoffs this season for the first time since 2017.
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