The Ohio State Buckeyes saw their season come to an end in disappointing fashion with a loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff.
Despite entering the playoff as a top favorite to win a national championship, Ryan Day’s team fell apart in their first game. Now, the team is scheduled to lose quite a bit of talent to the 2026 NFL Draft.
Of course, Ohio State has big names who are expected to be drafted high. Among those players are Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, and Arvell Reese. However, there are a couple of other players who could be first-round picks as well.
One of those players is none other than linebacker Sonny Styles.
At this point in time, Styles is expected to be a late first-round pick or early second. A new projection has been made about who he could land with.
Fox Sports analyst Rob Rang has released a mock draft that has Styles being selected by the AFC West champion Denver Broncos with the No. 31 overall pick.
“A former safety, Styles will likely be one of the more polarizing prospects in this year’s class, as some question his fit in the NFL,” Rang wrote. “The Broncos might see value in his ability to spy mobile QBs, however, as well as cover the versatile and explosive backs and tight ends of the AFC West.”
Taking a Closer Look at Ohio State’s Sonny Styles
While he may not be the biggest name coming into the draft from the Buckeyes, Styles will have a chance to be a highly productive player at the NFL level.
During his time in Columbus at Ohio State, Styles played in four years. He racked up 244 total tackles to go along with nine sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception, and nine defended passes.
Styles has elite speed and athleticism. As mentioned by Rang, there is some confusion about where he will fit on an NFL defense.
That being said, he’ll also have the ability to be a swiss army knife kind of player. There is a lot of value for NFL teams who can move a player from linebacker to safety when needed.
Landing with the Denver Broncos Would Be Perfect for Styles
There are few better landing spots for players in the 2026 draft class than a team like the Broncos. Denver is headed in the right direction and is a legitimate Super Bowl contender this season.
Sean Payton has a young and hungry core. Adding Styles to the mix would be a perfect pairing.
Styles would fit into the aggressive defensive style that the Broncos deploy. Sean Payton and Vance Joseph would almost certainly love to have the athletic ability that the Buckeyes’ defensive star brings to the field.
Obviously, the 2026 NFL Draft is still a long time from now. No one knows if Styles will be available when Denver is on the clock. If he is, it would not be shocking to see the Broncos have a lot of interest in bringing him onboard.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Ohio State Hidden Gem Could Be on Broncos’ Radar appeared first on Heavy Sports.