The New Orleans Saints drafted Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. with the 172nd pick of the NFL Draft in the fifth round. Safety was not necessarily a major need for the saints coming into the offseason, but more depth there could never hurt especially with injury issues last season. The team currently relies on Justin Reid, Julian Blackmon, and Jonas Sanker. However, Terrell Burgess and Jordan Howden also flashed some potential this previous season.
Styles Jr. is a former wide receiver from Notre Dame who transferred to Ohio State and converted to become a defensive back. Over his career at Ohio State, he tallied 47 combined tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 7 pass deflections. Styles is a raw prospect but has displayed plenty of skill and athleticism during his college career.
Draft Analysts View Styles as a Late Day Three Prospect
GettyStyles Jr. is a raw prospect compared to other defensive backs in this class.
PFF ranked Styles Jr. as their 207th best prospect on their draft board. During the 2025 season, PFF gave Styles slightly above average grades in coverage (63.5) and run defense (71.1). Those grades indicate that he has a lot of room to grow as a defensive back before he starts in the NFL.
Dane Brugler of the Athletic ranked Styles Jr. as the 30th best cornerback in the class and gave him a 7th round grade. Brugler also noted his lack of development as a defensive back but applauds Styles Jr.’s athleticism and power for the position.
Brugler said, “Styles doesn’t have NFL-level cover skills or anticipation right now, but he has enough explosiveness (and an impressive pedigree). His potential impact on special teams should keep him in the mix for a spot on the back end of the roster or practice squad as he continues to develop.”
Lorenzo Styles Jr. is a Phenomenal Athlete
GettyStyles Jr. excelled in his workouts during the combine and his pro day.
Styles Jr. received a 9.99 RAS Score after the NFL Combine and his pro day. This ranked 5th among all cornerbacks since 1987, which is an incredible sign of what he can bring to the NFL. He is just above 6 feet and weighs between 194 and 200 lbs, which is a decent height and weight for his position. His speed scores were elite after running a 4.27 40 yard dash, 2.49 20 yard split, and a 1.49 10 yard split. The one explosion drill he did he did fantastic at, which was a 39” vertical jump.
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