As the 2026 NFL Draft edges closer, speculation surrounding the best potential landing spots for the most notable prospects is running rampant.

This includes, of course, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.

The first-team All-American — who’s planning on attending next month’s draft in Pittsburgh in case he’s invited — has been heavily linked with a Top-10 pick since exploding on the scene at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in late February. A former safety, Styles has the size, speed and length scouts crave, high Football IQ, and a nasty old school attitude.

While Styles looks like the kind of player that could shine on any NFL roster, here are four teams picking at the top of the order that could provide an ideal fit for him:

Arizona Cardinals, Pick 3

Arizona could add to their Buckeye reunion in the desert at the third overall spot. After all, they already have Styles’ former teammate and predecessor with the Ohio State “Block O” jersey, Cody Simon, at the linebacker position after picking him up in the fourth round last year. 

Monti Ossenfort, Cardinals’ general manager since 2023, has picked up two former Buckeyes at the top of the first round since taking command in Arizona: offensive tackle Paris Johnson sixth overall in 2023, and wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall in 2024. Additionally, Ossenfort selected breakout cornerback Denzel Burke in the fifth round last year, so we know he keeps an eye on Columbus.

Some will argue that third overall is too high for an off-ball linebacker, but it’s also true that not many off-ball linebackers can do what Styles can do. Arizona could pair Styles with Simon in the middle of their 3-4, or maybe move Simon into Zaven Collins’ spot outside and have Styles play with Mack Wilson Sr. in the middle. Simon and Styles already possess great rapport together, having led Ohio State to a National Championship in 2024.

Tennessee Titans, Pick 4

New Titans’ head coach Robert Saleh enjoyed his best years as a defensive coordinator in the NFL while overseeing a linebacking corps that included the likes of Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair in San Francisco. He could add to that legacy in Tennessee with Styles. 

The Titans could plug Styles right away in the middle, alongside Cedric Gray, a fourth-rounder from 2024 who became a full-time starter last year. Or, Tennessee could leave veteran Cody Barton in the middle, and use Styles on the weak side. Either way, it’s an upgrade for a unit that finished last season with the fifth-highest points allowed per game average in the NFL, at 28.1.  

Tennessee is slated to pick fourth, and the potential of seeing Styles in Saleh’s Cover-3 scheme, as fast and rangy as he is, is mindblowing.

Miami Dolphins, Pick 11

The Dolphins currently own the 11th overall pick, which means they might have to climb a few spots if their heart is set on Styles. 

One of the biggest knocks against Miami during the recently-terminated Mike McDaniel-era was a lack of physicality on both sides of the ball. Styles would be a perfect first step to ending all that. 

Getting him on Miami’s roster is actually a gamble that could pay off. Current Dolphins’  linebacker Jordyn Brooks is coming off an All-Pro season where he led the league in tackles. There is rumored interest in Dallas acquiring Brooks via trade. 

Brooks is 28 years old and entering his final season under contract in Miami. Dealing him now seems perfect for maximizing the return. If Miami can get a high pick for Brooks, they could take Styles — assuming he’s still on the board — and have an immediate replacement that’s younger, cheaper, and with a much higher ceiling than Brooks, plus an extra high pick to invest elsewhere on the roster. 

Dallas Cowboys, Pick 12

Dallas’ Leighton Vander Esch saw his promising career ending prematurely in 2023 due to injuries.

Well, Styles might already be close to a Vander Esch level. 

Again, waiting for Styles to fall outside of the first 10 picks might not be the best idea and contrary to popular belief, Dallas isn’t overly aggressive trading up in the first round. But, if the Cowboys break from the trend, Styles would be well worth it. 

Styles would be an immediate starter in the middle, taking either Shemar James’ or DeMarvion Overshown’s place, as the Cowboys’ depth chart is currently projected. Either way, it’s a huge upgrade via one of the safest players in this draft at a position of need for Jerry Jones’ team. 

The first appearance by an Ohio State men’s basketball player in the McDonald’s All-American Game in 12 years was a quiet one.

Anthony Thompson, the first prep player signed by the Buckeyes to participate in the event since D’Angelo Russell in 2014, came off the bench for the East team and finished with 5 points, three rebounds, a block and two turnovers in a 102-86 loss.

More on Anthony Thompson: Ohio State five-star signee Anthony Thompson excited for McDonald’s Game

A five-star forward playing at Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy, Thompson is the highest-rated player to sign with OSU since Jared Sullinger in 2010 according to the 247Sports.com rankings. Inside Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Thompson subbed into the game with 4:55 left in the first half, turned the ball over on a drive and then buried a 3-pointer from the right corner.

“He can flame it up from the outside,” ESPN’s Paul Biancardi said on the broadcast.

One possession later, though, Thompson got the ball in transition, rushed a look from deep and airballed the 3-point attempt. After playing the remainder of the first quarter, Thompson sat until the second half, when he started for the East and was primarily matched up with Christian Collins, a USC signee. Again on the perimeter, Thompson crashed the glass, nabbed an offensive board and put it back for his final points of the night.

His top assistant from this past season, Joel Justus, announced on Tuesday that he’ll be leaving Ohio State to take an assistant coaching position at Vanderbilt, per CBS Sports.

News: Ohio State associate head coach Joel Justus is joining Mark Byington’s staff, source tells CBS Sports. Justus, 44, spent the past two years in Columbus and was previously at NC State for the magical F4 run in 2024 and also worked under John Calipari at UK for seven years.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 31, 2026

Justus served as Diebler’s top assistant for each of the head coach’s first two seasons at the helm of Ohio State, seeing the Buckeyes finish the 2024-25 season with a disappointing 17-15 record before aiding OSU in making its first NCAA Tournament in four years in 2025-26. The No. 8 seed Ohio State lost in the first round of the Big Dance to No. 9 seed TCU.

Before his time with the Buckeyes, Justus spent two seasons as an assistant coach at NC State, helping the Wolfpack reach the 2024 Final Four. He was also an assistant at Kentucky under John Calipari for seven years and spent one year at Arizona State.

Justus played college basketball at UNC Wilmington, the same alma mater as Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington, though the two did not overlap in their time there. The Commodores boasted a 27-9 record and finished fourth in the SEC in 2025-26, making the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed and advancing to the second round before falling to No. 4 seed Nebraska.