The Washington Commanders selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

The addition of Styles is a much-needed one for a Washington defense that finished 27th in points allowed per game and 32nd in yards allowed per game last season.

Styles played 55 games and made 41 starts over his four years with the Buckeyes. He was a co-captain as a senior in 2025, and led the team with 82 tackles and 46 solo tackles. The 21-year-old earned first-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors.

Styles, who stands at 6-feet 5-inches and is listed at 244 pounds, has a history of playing both safety and linebacker at the college level. His athleticism and versatility are believed to be a strong fit for coach Dan Quinn’s defense in Washington.

Styles wore the green dot on his helmet as the proverbial quarterback and team captain of the Buckeyes’ defense. In Columbus, he was described as “best leader in the program” and projects to be the perfect heir to free agent Bobby Wagner — and Adam Peters’ version of Fred Warner, the 49ers’ four-time All-Pro linebacker he helped draft in San Francisco.

Styles is a second-generation NFLer — his father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., also played linebacker at Ohio State before a six-year NFL career highlighted by a Super Bowl XXXIV win with the Rams.

Brother Lorenzo Styles Jr. converted from receiver at Notre Dame to cornerback at Ohio State and is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.