Sonny Styles Is Already Calling Washington’s Defense

SWN Analysis · August 31, 2026

Washington took Sonny Styles seventh overall, and by minicamp he was wearing the green dot.

That’s the helmet with the radio receiver — the one the defensive play caller wears. Handing it to a rookie in his first offseason is the loudest possible signal a coaching staff can send, and Dan Quinn’s staff sent it early.

Sonny Styles, LB — No. 7 overall, Ohio State

The player. Styles was one of four Ohio State players taken in the top 11, alongside receiver Carnell Tate (No. 4, Tennessee), edge rusher Arvell Reese (No. 5, Giants) and safety Caleb Downs (No. 11, Cowboys). That’s a defensive pipeline arriving in the league all at once, and Washington was thrilled to land Styles inside the top 10.

He flashed throughout minicamp and earned the play-calling responsibility in practice — which matters more than any preseason stat line. Communication is the hardest thing for a rookie linebacker to handle, and Washington’s staff evidently decided it wasn’t a problem.

The situation. Quinn is one of the league’s better defensive developers, and a rookie linebacker learning under him has a real path to a Pro Bowl in year one. Styles was drafted to be a centerpiece, not a rotational piece.

Playing time projection. Starter from Week 1, with the defensive communication role attached.

Antonio Williams, WR — No. 71, Clemson

Washington’s third-round pick and the most likely rookie contributor on offense.

Williams arrives from a Clemson program that has produced NFL receivers consistently, and third-round pass catchers frequently outperform their draft slot when the depth chart cooperates.

Playing time projection. Rotational receiver early, with room to grow into a larger role as the season develops.

Joshua Josephs, EDGE — No. 147, Tennessee

A fifth-round pass rusher, which is exactly the kind of pick that either becomes a rotational contributor by November or spends the year on the practice squad.

Playing time projection. Situational pass-rush snaps if he wins the camp battle.

Kaytron Allen, RB — No. 187, Penn State

The sixth-rounder worth knowing. Allen was a productive Penn State back, and running back is the position where late-round picks most often turn into real contributors — the transition from college to pro is shorter there than almost anywhere else.

Playing time projection. Depth and special teams, with a path to touches if injuries open one.

The rest of the class

Matt Gulbin, C — No. 209, Michigan State and Athan Kaliakmanis, QB — No. 223, Rutgers round out the group. Gulbin is interior line depth; Kaliakmanis is a developmental arm and a camp body.

Three names from the wider class

Fernando Mendoza, QB — Las Vegas Raiders (No. 1). The least surprising pick of the draft and the strangest career arc in it. Mendoza went from a quarterback few people had heard of in August 2025 to a Heisman winner, a national champion at Indiana and the No. 1 overall pick — the first Hoosier taken in the first round since 1994. He opened camp behind Kirk Cousins, so his preseason work has been the only real evaluation available.

Caleb Downs, S — Dallas Cowboys (No. 11). Styles’ Ohio State teammate, and the most obvious schematic fit in the entire class. Dallas traded up a spot to get him. Downs left college as arguably the best defensive back in the sport, and safeties who arrive with his instincts tend to start immediately rather than rotate.

Jeremiyah Love, RB — Arizona Cardinals (No. 3). The highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley. Love’s game is built on making one cut and exploding into the second level — gaps that are smaller in the NFL, but a skill set that travels. Notre Dame lost both Love and Jadarian Price (No. 32, Seattle) to this draft and doesn’t return a back who started a game last season.

Watch the green dot

The green dot. If Styles is still calling Washington’s defense in December — through the speed, the noise and the volume of NFL game-planning — the Commanders got a franchise linebacker at No. 7.

Rookies who handle that responsibility in year one are rare. Quinn’s staff has already bet that Styles is one of them.

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