Why Sonny Styles is the Bengals’ Ideal Draft Target at No. 10
- Ian Altenau
- 16 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The Bengals are looking for a very specific player in this year's draft.
And don't take my word for it – take Al Golden's:
“We've gotta get better. We've gotta get deeper. Obviously having somebody with a combo presence. I would prefer not to ask Demetrius to play on the line of scrimmage as much as we did…” defensive coordinator Golden said to reporters in late February at the NFL Combine, “… I would prefer to add another piece…”
He was referring to Demetrius Knight Jr., the Bengals rookie linebacker who was forced, by necessity, to play on the edge as a hybrid defender instead of playing his natural, run-and-chase position as a weak side linebacker.
The results were…well, you don't need me to explain: I'll let the Bengals defensive rankings do that for me (all stats from FootballReference.com).
Points Allowed – 492 (30th)
Yards Allowed – 6475 (31st)
Yards per Play – 6.2 (32nd)
1st Downs Allowed – 353 (26th)
Expected Points – -165.93 (29th)
Yards after Catch Allowed – 2416 (32nd)
Missed Tackles – 170 (32nd)
So, clearly improvement is needed. Even after adding Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook and Jonathan Allen in free agency, that still rings true – especially at linebacker.
Fortunately, the exact player the Bengals are looking for is in this draft class. That player is Arvell Reese, and unfortunately, it’s going to take a miracle for him to slide to the Bengals at No. 10.
Reese fits the Bengals for lots of reasons, but here’s a quick rundown:
He’s extremely athletic (4.46 in the 40-yard dash; 1.56 10-yard split)
He’s a strong run defender
He has superstar pass rush potential
He’s even got some coverage ability
If you know anything about Cincinnati’s defense last year, they could use every bit of what Reese is bringing to the table.
But, again, the Bengals probably have a better chance of getting Rob Gronkowski out of retirement than they do Reese sliding that far.
So, sadly, the perfect player is just out of reach – but what if that’s not true?
Arvell Reese wasn’t the only Buckeye who looked like a potential superstar linebacker at the next level. Sonny Styles, who lined up right next to Reese all year, is Reese’s mirror-image.
Styles fits the Bengals for lots of reasons, but here’s a quick rundown
He’s extremely athletic (4.46 in the 40-yard dash; 43 ½ inch vertical jump; 11’ 2” broad jump)
He’s a strong run defender
He has superstar pass coverage potential
He’s even got some pass rush ability
See? Mirror image.
And better yet, he might really be there at #10.
The NFL has devalued the traditional, off-ball linebacker spot, especially early in the draft. It’s not an unreasonable philosophy – off-ball linebackers these days are routinely subbed out of formations to make room for smaller, speedier defensive backs, or for a variety of pass rushing-types.
Off-ball linebacker is still an impact position, but because it’s been so devalued, the Bengals have a real opportunity to grab a top-5 player in this draft class. Even more importantly, Styles might actually be a better fit than Reese for what the Bengals really need, given what they added in free agency.
The signings of Mafe, Cook, and Allen are going to play a huge role in changing this defense for the better. Losing Trey Hendrickson definitely takes some of the sting out of the Bengals pass rush, but Hendrickson wasn’t always healthy, and when he was, he was never much more than an opportunist in the run game. Mafe, while certainly not a pass rusher of Hendrickson’s caliber, is a far more well-rounded player. Allen, meanwhile, is a definitive upgrade over Kris Jenkins Jr., and brings way more juice as a pass rusher than TJ Slaton.
Those three alone raise the Bengals’ floor, but they also provide the necessary stability, up front and in the back end, to allow a player like Styles to blossom.
What Styles offers, though, that no other player – not even Reese – can offer in this draft class is the ability to match up and dominate tight ends in the NFL, not just in the pass game, but in the run game as well. The NFL, as evidenced by teams like the Rams, Bears, Ravens, and Steelers, have grown quite fond of lining up with multiple tight ends on the field, creating problems for defenses who want to line up in nickel.
12 and 13 personnel is all the rage these days, and offenses are putting defenses in a bind. Most linebackers can’t stick with tight ends in coverage, but most defensive backs can’t handle tight ends in the run game. Styles solves that problem. He’d be the perfect SAM linebacker for the Bengals.
Think of all those times the Bengals have been dominated by tight ends over the years – guys like Mark Andrews, David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and many more have had career-days against the Bengals defense. Styles, though, is a one-man solution to exactly this problem.
This is the kind of player Al Golden and the Bengals defense has been yearning for – a tall, lanky, athletic linebacker who can stay on the field all three downs, cover opposing tight ends downfield, and dominate them at the line of scrimmage in the run game. Styles can do all of those things – and he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do as a pass rusher too.
It also allows both of the Bengals second-year linebackers, Knight and Barrett Carter, to play in their more natural roles as weak-side and middle linebacker, respectively. Knight, as I mentioned previously, was forced to play out of position by necessity. With Styles in the fold, Knight can return to being a run-and-chase player at linebacker, while Styles sets a hard edge. And in obvious passing situations, Knight or Carter will leave the field and allow Styles to shift back to playing in space. Everybody wins.
Reese, of course, would help in a similar, but mirrored, way. But the odds of him falling to #10 are minuscule.
Styles isn’t a consolation prize – he’s a different side of the same coin. He’s the combo backer Al Golden – and Bengals fans – should desperately want.