The Los Angeles Chargers will have a tough choice to make on draft night. Do they go for a defensive prospect to provide extra talent to incoming coordinator Chris O'Leary? Or they fill one of their open positions along the offensive line with a premier talent in the first round?
They have a number of options on the defensive side of the ball. Caleb Banks was highly impressive during his on-field workouts. Peter Woods and Kayden McDonald could also be options to address defensive tackle in their draft range.
But the most impressive performance on Thursday came from a player who is now well out of the Chargers' reach: linebacker Sonny Styles out of Ohio State.
Styles, a converted safety, was mocked to Los Angeles early in the draft process. But with the hype building around him and his strong showing at the Combine, he's now almost certainly off the table for the Chargers.
Sonny Styles is a dream fit for almost any defense, but he's bound to be a top-10 pick
In early January, Styles was mocked to the Chargers in Ryan Wilson's mock draft for CBS Sports. I wrote at the time about how selecting Styles in the first round would be a mistake given the needs the team has along the offensive line.
Little did I know, at the time, what a dream of a selection Styles would be. He had a highly productive Senior season at Ohio State, posting 82 combined tackles, one sack, and 6.5 tackles for loss. He tacked on three passes defended over the course of the season.
But his performance at the combine has truly vaulted him into top-prospect territory. He led all linebackers with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a 11'2" broad jump yesterday. Combined with his solid measurements, the hype around Styles will soon start building rapidly.
For the Chargers, who need strong tackling and athleticism in the middle of the field, Styles would be the perfect addition in a vacuum. Although their needs at other positions may have eclipsed their appetite for Styles, he's now made that point moot.
In most recent mock drafts, Styles has entered top-10 territory, being linked to defense-needy teams such as the Washington Commanders. His performance on Thursday will almost certainly cement his standing among the top defensive players in the class.
Style's ties to Los Angeles were fleeting. It's quite likely he never would have fallen that far in the first place. But the Chargers will always be left wondering about what could have been with the hyper-athletic linebacker.