It was clear leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft that the Washington Commanders loved Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. If you ignore all the draft chatter leading up to Round 1, two names that stood out most often in connection to the Commanders were Styles and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Washington had come to the realization that neither would probably be there when it went on the clock at No. 7 overall. Love went No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals, but things started to fall in place for the Commanders at No. 4, when the Tennessee Titans shockingly selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. That led another former Buckeye, edge/linebacker Arvell Reese, to fall to the New York Giants at No. 5. Barring a trade at No. 6, Styles appeared on his way to Washington. There was a trade, but the Kansas City Chiefs moved up for LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, believing the Commanders and New Orleans Saints, who picked No. 8, were a threat to land the draft's top cornerback. While Washington liked Delane, there was no way GM Adam Peters was passing on Styles if he fell into their laps at No. 7. He did. Everyone was thrilled with the pick. The selection of Styles has been universally praised around the NFL. Mike Sando of The Athletic recently reviewed all 32 draft classes from the 2026 NFL Draft. For each team, he spoke with anonymous NFL executives. Let's just say that one NFL executive has a lofty comparison for Styles. "He is Bobby Wagner, but bigger and faster," one exec said. "He has as good of traits for an inside backer that I have ever seen."Wagner isn't the only lofty comparison for Styles. "Brian Urlacher, maybe, the exec said when asked if there was a comparison. "He is 6-5, 240 pounds, gonna run 4.4. Really smart, makes all the calls, very instinctive and has some untapped pass-rush ability. He was top-five on our board all the way."Wagner isn't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because he's still an active player. The Commanders know him well, as he was their starter at middle linebacker over the last two years. But Wagner is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. As for Urlacher, that comparison makes a lot of sense. Urlacher was similarly sized (6-foot-4, 258), ran a fast 40-yard dash, and played some safety in college. He would play 13 years in the NFL, is a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a four-time first-team All-Pro, and much more. It's safe to say the Commanders would be thrilled if Styles comes close to matching Wagner or Urlacher's careers. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: NFL exec with lofty comparison for Sonny Styles