A Sneaky Name to Know as Vikings Look to Shore Up Aging Position
Last year, the Vikings sunk the No. 24 selection into an overlooked position, choosing left guard Donovan Jackson from Ohio State. Does lightning strike twice when it comes to targeting what’s considered a non-premium position?
If so, then keep an eye on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. For a little while, the Minnesota mock drafts have insisted on running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) or safety Caleb Downs (Ohio State). Both make sense for Minnesota’s roster needs; both are unlikely to fall to No. 18 in the draft. Does that make an upcoming Minnesota marriage with Styles more likely?
The Vikings, Sonny Styles, & The 2026 NFL Draft
Current LB1 Blake Cashman treats tackles like a weary traveller treats an oasis in the desert.
Mr. Cashman consumes tackles with great vigor, climbing up to an whopping 144 in 2025 despite missing four games due to injury. At 29, Cashman is still a springy athlete. Even better is that he demonstrates great leadership and is a sophisticated football mind capable of corralling play calls for DC Brian Flores. Look for Cashman to remain (possibly after agreeing to extension to lower his cap charge, currently coming in a hair above $9 million).
The issue for the Vikings is that not too much remains beyond the impressive LB1.
Gone are the rookies — Kobe King and Austin Keys — who were both shown the door during the season. Eric Wilson had a sensational season but he is now moving toward a meaty-money deal; Minnesota, as you may have heard, doesn’t have meaty money. There’s then Ivan Pace Jr., who is an RFA who got demoted during the season.
Not too much optimism contained above even if there’s a way to re-add one (or more) of these players who soaked up linebacker snaps for the Vikings in 2025.
Maybe Sonny Styles could be an option.
He’s coming in at 19th on the PFF draft board. Consider the assessment: “Styles looks the part of an NFL linebacker with an imposing frame, even as a converted defensive back. He has improved his run-stopping ability, thanks in part to his long wingspan, to wrap up ball carriers. As a former safety, he’s fluid and moves well when dropping in coverage. The linebacker instincts are still a work in progress, but there is a good baseline for improvement. That offers him a mid-round projection heading into 2025.”
So, too, is Mel Kiper of ESPN impressed. The draft analyst drops Styles down at 12th on his board. The assessment: “You can tell Styles is a former safety; he has outstanding speed, and his burst allows him to spy the QB. Watch for him to dominate at the combine and in predraft testing. Styles is also a dependable tackler and closes in a flash. He really took the next step this season, even as he adapted to a new system under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.”
Note: Matt Patricia comes out of New England, just like Coach Flores. Presumably, Styles could acclimate to the Vikings efficiently since he’s coming out of a defense that’s likely to have some overlap with what Flores wants to accomplish.
Note, as well, that being a safety before becoming a ‘backer appears to be a good thing within Minnesota’s context. Has Flores ever demonstrated a proclivity for tasking his players with unusual responsibilities? The tactician commonly asks his safety talent to play linebacker. Maybe drafting a linebacker who can do things a safety normally does makes sense.
In fourteen games in 2025, Sonny Styles picked up 82 tackles alongside 6.5 tackles for a loss. He had 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.
An NFL draft is an inherently unpredictable place. Some of the selections will be easy to foresee, but there are always some surprises. Seeing Kyle Hamilton fall down to the Vikings back in 2022 before the Vikings then traded all the way back to No. 32 — and with the Lions, no less — wasn’t foreseen by many (if any at all).
Goodness, one could even look at the Falcons for another example. Signing Kirk Cousins to a monstrous deal before then drafting Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 in 2024 was genuinely stunning.
All that to say, folks, that Minnesota could end up choosing a player like Love, Downs, or another coveted talent at No. 18. But if the expected occurs and some of those more well-known players fly off the board, look toward Sonny Styles out of Ohio State.
Mr. Styles is 21.
