Sonny Styles can do things other NFL linebackers can’t. Elite athleticism, rare physical skills and football smarts allow for that, which is why the sky’s so high for the No. 7 overall draft pick out of Ohio State.
The tough part, it seems, is convincing Styles to maximize those traits at this point in camp. The rookie is naturally trying to do everything right and fulfill his schematic responsibilities perfectly.
That’s not a bad thing. It’s not necessarily what Commanders coaches want during these
training camp practices. They want Styles to push himself to the edge and attempt big plays others wouldn’t try. Now’s a perfect time to test his limits, with errors not costing the Commanders in games that count.
“We’ve challenged him in that way and, you can see at times that he cuts it loose,” defensive coordinator Daronte Jones said after Tuesday’s training camp practice. “You can really see that speed on tape. That’s what most guys who are young and still playing tentative a little bit. That happens, but, alright, let’s go. I’d rather you go full speed and make a mistake than to be too slow and be right. That’s something all young players have to learn, their range of what they can and cannot do.”
Head coach Dan Quinn said something similar last week. Styles’ aggressiveness is important for the player to learn his limits. It’s also key for the coaches to see how far they can push him and how much the rookie can do at this super-early point in his career.
“I want to push him to make a mistake. Go for it,” Quinn said, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “Take the shot right here. I want to encourage him. He’s such a respectful, do-it-right [guy]. No, you can make that play and the other guys can’t. So, you have permission to try it. Where are the spaces I can get to? If you can, all right. If not, we know it’s not the right call.”
Styles knows the assignment. While he’s not pushing the limits physical contact – there have been times when he appropriately thudded a ball carrier over blowing them up – he’s starting to go for it a bit more.
He understands the attacking nature of Jones’ defense and his role within it.
“We like playing offense on defense. We like to determine the numbers,” Styles said in a Saturday interview with NFL Network. “We’re playing on our terms. I love that mindset. The way he teaches it, too, is so easy to digest information. … The stuff is just super easy to understand. Sometimes you look at it and it seems complex, but it’s easy for us. He has done a great job with that.”
Despite being faster than most at this level. Styles is still going through speed-of-the-game adjustments transitioning to NFL football. It may not come with footspeed but instead a decreasing margin for error or hesitance.
“When switched to linebacker (from safety, at Ohio State), I started to feel routes a little bit,” Styles said in that NFLN interview. “As I’ve gotten better over time, I’ve started feeling them more and more. Now, the biggest adjustment is that the ball’s coming out so fast and so precise that you have to get there faster. You can drop and the guy’s five yards away, but if No. 5 (Jayden Daniels) is throwing the ball, it’s going to be there now. The timing and the accuracy on throws … you have to get there faster.”
