The NFL regular season is officially over. Now for the teams that didn’t make the playoffs, that means draft season is now upon us. Unfortunately, that includes the Buccaneers.
However, this might be a blessing in disguise. The Bucs now sit with the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. That could be high enough for them to acquire a guy who I believe is the perfect fit for this organization.
That player is Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. He is fresh off his second season playing the position after playing his first two seasons in Columbus as a safety. His development into the position and overall level of play have been incredibly impressive.
If you’ve missed the last three months of Buccaneer football, linebacker has become a desperate need. With Lavonte David’s level of play dropping off as he nears retirement and none of his running mates working out over the last few years, this position group has become one of the worst in the NFL. The Bucs need an injection of talent at the position and someone who can become the leader of the defense.
I believe Styles is exactly that. Here’s why I believe that this would be the perfect pick for the Buccaneers.
Athletic Profile
Styles is listed at 6 ‘4 and 243 lbs. And although I wouldn’t call him a physical thumper, he uses that size to take on blocks and make sound tackles. This is reflected in the fact that he didn’t miss a single tackle during the 2025 regular season.
As a former safety, he is every bit as fast and fluid as you would expect. This gives him the speed to range sideline to sideline as well as move into coverage. Everything the Bucs have been missing over the last two years.
Untapped Potential
Having only played the position for two years, Styles is not a finished product. He will continue to improve with more experience. So even though he is worthy of being a high pick based on what he currently is (one of the better linebacker prospects of the last several years) his ceiling is still higher than that.
Styles is still fine tuning his instincts as a linebacker. In run support, he is still getting the Lavonte David esq feel of shooting through traffic and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He is also still polishing his coverage skills at the second level although he undoubtedly has the talent to be very good in this area,
Leadership
By all accounts, Styles’ intangibles are off the charts good. He was a starter on their national championship team and was voted a captain this year. And by all accounts, he’s a mature professional guy off the field.
It’s also worth noting that he was given the jersey number zero this past season. It’s an honor given to the player who embodies leadership, toughness, and accountability. Everything the Bucs could want in the potential face of the defense.
The draft is still a long ways away. A lot can change between now and then and we will certainly talk about other interesting prospects. With that said, I have a hard time seeing anyone being a better combination of talent, potential and filling a need.
It’s still very early in the process, but it seems obvious that Sonny Styles is the perfect pick for the Buccaneers.
For more from J.T. click here, then make sure to follow him on Twitter.
Follow, Like and Subscribe to Bucs Report
BucsReport.com
For more on this and everything Buccaneers check back here hourly at BucsReport.com.
