The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not going to make it a secret to the rest of the NFL that they want to go defense at this year's draft, and Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker prospect Sonny Styles is probably going to be No. 1 on their internal big board among realistic options at No .15 overall.
This year's NFL Draft looks more loaded with raw talent than last year's, and there are a number of intriguing prospects on the defensive side of the ball. Although the Bucs need a marquee pass rusher and will be after the likes of Cassius Marsh and even, if by some miracle he's available, David Bailey in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
But the Buccaneers need front seven help, period, and with Lavonte David contemplating retirement after the 2025 season, inside linebacker could become just as much of a priority as edge rusher. Since Arvell Reese is going to be nowhere near the board when pick No. 15 arrives, his Ohio State teammate Styles is the most logical of the dream options for the Bucs.
Buccaneers are meeting with Sonny Styles
And now, according to a report from Evan Winters of A to Z Sports, the Buccaneers are indeed having a formal meeting with Styles at the NFL Scouting Combine. There are other reported meetings with talented linebacker prospects who could be available in the first couple of rounds in the draft, but nobody is going to turn more heads in the Buccaneers fan base than Styles.
An instinctive, intellgent linebacker who tackles east to west and north to south, Styles has the range to dominate in the NFL and the toughness to blow plays up. He is the perfect three-down linebacker at the NFL level and one of several can't-miss Ohio State defensive prospects this year alongside Reese and safety Caleb Downs.
Styles honestly gets a back seat compared to his teammates, but he's just as much a blue chip prospect as anyone on this elite Buckeyes defense. The Buccaneers need someone who can help transform their defense now ahead of a playoff push in 2026 while also developing into a superstar at the position just as David did over the years.
In Styles, the Buccaneers can draft someone in the first round who can fulfill those criteria for them. The Bucs will have to find a way to sign a real pass rusher if they do go Styles at 15, but he may be their safest bet.