Styles is quickly establishing himself as an active and cerebral playmaker. Getty
He's a rookie on a struggling defense, but a few observers have already seen enough to proclaim Washington Commanders' linebacker Sonny Styles as the "heir" to arguably the "best" in the NFL at his position.
That's the confident claim from Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports, along with former NFL defensive back Domonique Foxworth. Speaking on "The Domonique Foxworth Show," Tice told the host, Styles "might be the best linebacker once Fred Warner retires."
Foxworth concurred when he admitted, "If you asked me to pick the heir to Fred Warner today, I'd say Sonny Styles."
Any comparison to San Francisco 49ers stud Warner is lofty. He's a four-time first-team All-Pro with a quartet of Pro Bowl nods to his credit.
Warner has redefined what playing linebacker means in modern football, but Styles has immediately made a similar impression . He's done it because the 21-year-old has already mastered a subtle, but vital part of the game.
Foxworth revealed the key trait Styles already shares with Warner. The former Baltimore Ravens cornerback explained , "My second post in several months is gonna be of Sonny Styles against play action. He rarely gets fooled and he's a rookie, and that's impossible."
Styles' ability to diagnose plays both pre- and post-snap is consistently putting him into the optimum positions to prevent danger. Foxworth compares Styles' recognition to "one of the things that I say about Fred Warner, is it feels like he's never wrong."
This similar level of understanding is why Foxworth believes "Sonny Styles seems to be on another level, as far as the mental part of the game, as compared to other linebackers."
That's high praise, but Styles has caught the eye of a franchise great already this season. Styles also delivered a dominant, breakout performance to help beat the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.
GettyStyles is quickly establishing himself as an active and cerebral playmaker.
The numbers are trending in the right direction for Styles to meet the hype. Numbers like 13 run stops, six pressures and a forced fumble, per Pro Football Focus .
There are still areas of improvement when Styles has been guilty of eight missed tackles and allowed a 102.7 passer rating. Some growing pains remain inevitable, but No. 52 is the brightest spark on a defense otherwise lacking in positives, despite a depth of coaching voices.
The Commanders invested heavily in defensive veterans during free agency, then used first-round capital to draft Styles. Those moves were meant to help first-year coordinator Daronte Jones field a strong unit, but the Commanders are still searching for an edge.
Perhaps it will show up in the coaching department after Washington hired a former head coach to consult with Jones. This was always the plan, but ESPN's Jason Reid questions if coaching's the issue.
Reid cited the presence of defensive-minded head coach Dan Quinn, before noting Jones' pedigree. As Reid put it , "During an interview a few years ago, Vikings DC Brian Flores, who's widely regarded as one of the game's best defensive minds, praised Daronte Jones, one of his top lieutenants. He told me about the impact Jones had on the Vikings' D. Counting Quinn and Wilks, the Commanders will have had four key decision-makers on defense in less than a full season. Perhaps coaching isn't the problem?"
It's a reasonable argument when the Commanders rank 29th in points and 26th in yards, according to Pro Football Reference . Those numbers indicate some prominent starters aren't delivering.
Fortunately, Styles looks good enough inspire a turnaround.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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