“The Washington Commanders found the perfect piece to balance their defense,” Sobleski wrote. “Entering the draft, the team had previously invested in Frankie Luvu and Leo Chenal to be their off-ball linebackers. They’re both aggressive and physical. However, they’re both much better playing downhill and definitely not as effective dropping into space. Whereas, Styles is a safety-convert whose athleticism and movement skills are truly special. He can be an ideal complement and eventual leader among this group, thanks to his previous experience wearing the green dot as part of Ohio State’s loaded defense.”

Luvu Thrives Playing Both Edge and Inside LB

Getting Styles also means Luvu can go back to playing edge rusher at times, where he thrived in 2024 as the Commanders went 12-5 in the regular season and advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

Relegated to just playing off-ball linebacker in 2025, Luvu’s ability to impact a game positively was essentially cut in half, and one of the factors that likely led to the decision to fire defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

Commanders Paying Big Money for Trio

While the Commanders now have an uber-talented trio of inside linebackers, they’ll also be paying a mint for their services in 2026 and moving forward.

As the No. 7 overall pick, he will receive a fully guaranteed 4-year contract worth an estimated $37.2 million. Chenal signed a 3-year, $24.75 million free-agent contract on March 9.  Luvu is entering the final season of the 3-year, $31 million free-agent contract he signed before the 2024 season.

While that’s an unusual amount of money for any NFL team to spend on off-ball linebackers, in this case, the versatility of all 3 players could make it a heck of a bargain if the Commanders find their way back to the postseason.

Styles, 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, could be the type of player who creates his own position, in essence. At Ohio State, Styles was a safety before moving to linebacker, and at the NFL scouting combine he ran the 40-yard dash in an incredible 4.46 seconds to go with a 43.5-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 11 feet, 2 inches.

“Washington adds speed and blitzing ability with Chenal,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote. “He also plays with a lot of range, providing versatility. All of that should provide a big boost in new coordinator Daronte Jones’ system. The Commanders have now added two potential standouts, including Oweh, as well as Settle. The Commanders’ defense did not have enough speed at linebacker last season and opposing offenses took advantage. But this move also is about affecting the quarterback and Washington has beefed up its ability to apply pressure.”