Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles put on an absolute clinic on the opening day of the 2026 NFL Combine, posting eye-popping numbers in both the jumps and the 40-yard dash.
At 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, Styles set a linebacker record with a 43½-inch vertical jump — also the best ever for a player taller than 6-foot-4 and over 240 pounds.
He led his position group with an 11-foot-2 broad jump, ranking top three among linebackers over the past decade.
Styles’ 40-yard dash may have been the most impressive test of all. He ran a 4.46, again pacing all linebackers and tying fellow Buckeye Arvell Reese, who worked out with the edge rushers.
His on-field drills matched the testing numbers — smooth, fluid and natural — while consistently flashing that sub-4.5 speed.
Styles was already widely viewed as a top-10 prospect, with some ranking him in the top five. However, off-ball linebacker isn’t typically a premium draft position. In 2025, the first off-ball linebacker selected, Jihaad Campbell, didn’t come off the board until pick No. 31. Still, a combine performance like this could force general managers to rethink exactly where the Ohio State product belongs on their draft boards.