Ohio State football coach Ryan Day made a loud statement when he said the Buckeyes have strict recruiting standards for players coming out of high school, as they only go after those projected to be first- and second-round picks.

Those words are about to be validated in the 2026 NFL Draft, with a pair of star-studded linebackers expected to be drafted with one of the first few picks. One of those is Sonny Styles, who projects as an impact player for his future NFL team from the jump.

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Here's what to know on Styles ahead of the NFL draft:

Styles is a linebacker out of Ohio State who is one of the top overall draft prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.

A four-year player in Columbus, Styles had a breakout junior season in the Buckeyes' 2024 College Football Playoff championship season. He racked up 100 total tackles (10.5 tackles for a loss) and six sacks, with 24 tackles coming during Ohio State's CFP run. Making Styles' junior campaign even more impressive was the fact it was his first season playing linebacker at Ohio State (he played safety in his first two seasons).

Styles entered the 2025 season as one of the top defensive players in the country and, despite his numbers being slightly down from the year prior, he still racked up 82 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

As noted by USA TODAY Sports' Ayrton Ostly, Styles is an example of the "planet theory" when talking about NFL draft prospects: There aren't many prospects on the board who can move around the field with his 6-foot-5, 244-pound frame.

Styles has seen his NFL draft stock rise following last month's NFL combine, with some draft analysts moving him up to a projected top-five pick.

He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds. He also hit 43.5 inches in the vertical jump, which was the best vertical jump from a linebacker at the combine in over two decades since Penn State’s Cameron Wake reached 45 1/2 inches.

Styles is widely considered one of the top linebackers in this year's NFL draft class and one of the top overall prospects in the class.

Here's where NFL draft analysts have Styles going in Thursday's draft:

USA TODAY Sports (Ayrton Ostly, as of April 16): No. 8 to the Dallas Cowboys

USA TODAY Sports (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, as of April 13): No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans

ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr., as of April 15): No. 6 to the Dallas Cowboys (via trade)

The Athletic (Dane Brugler, as of April 15): No. 6 to the Cowboys (via trade)

CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson, as of April 13): No. 8 to the New Orleans Saints

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Here's a scouting report of Styles from USA TODAY Sports' Ayrton Ostly:

"Styles entered the year as the top linebacker in the class before Arvell Reese overtook him. Still, Styles has impressive size and elite athleticism in his 6-foot-5 and 244-pound frame. He's a young prospect and already diagnoses plays effectively. Given his age and elite traits, he could become a perennial Pro Bowler with some development. His scouting combine performance cemented his status as a premier talent in this class."