“Can’t Wait to Coach Him!” – Dan Quinn on the Commanders Drafting Sonny Styles

Dan Quinn could barely contain himself when Rich asked about the moment the Washington Commanders went on the clock at seventh overall and Sonny Styles was still on the board.

The Commanders head coach told The Rich Eisen Show the call did not require any deliberation. Kansas City had just traded above Washington, and once that move played out, Quinn knew what was coming.

"Man, here we go," Quinn remembered saying.

There was no need to wait. Quinn called Styles an excellent player, raved about his impact at Ohio State, and pointed back to the visit Styles made to Washington as the moment the connection clicked.

Rich described the Ohio State linebacker as a mixture of monster and humility. Quinn agreed. He said it is an excellent combination at the position.

The combine performance was a separate conversation. Rich, who has covered combines on NFL Network for more than 20 years, said he could count on one hand the number of times a workout truly blew him away. Styles' was on that hand. Quinn agreed it is rare. The athletic traits, the speed, the size, the length. Not an every year player.

"I'm a developmental coach," Quinn said, and he made it clear he has been waiting to get hands on this kid.

Rich pushed him to define that. What does development look like in real terms?

Quinn laid out the plan. The Commanders are going to play a lot of zone, which means Styles will have vision to the quarterback. Pair that with his speed and length and the closing range becomes a problem for offenses. Although Styles did not blitz often at Ohio State because Arvell Reese was there, Washington intends to use him as a blitzer.

The coverage piece is already there. The two seasons Styles played at defensive back gave him football acumen that linebackers without that background do not always have. Quinn is excited to unleash him in new ways.

Rich asked about the green dot. Quinn said it is on the table at practice. He noted that the modern college game has prepared players to wear it earlier than the old days.

There was a connective tissue moment too. Styles' father was teammates with Washington legend London Fletcher. The two won a Super Bowl together, Quinn believes in St. Louis, and reconnected during the visit.

"Significant franchise connective tissue," Rich called it.

Quinn explained the visit itself. Washington brings prospects in groups during the official 30 visits. Rich, sensing where the conversation could go, brought up the old media narrative that Jayden Daniels had felt disrespected during his own visit. Quinn shut that down. Daniels would be the first to say it was never true.

The story of the night Washington selected Styles came back around. The linebacker had told Quinn at the end of his visit that he was coming back. Quinn put it out into the atmosphere. Two weeks later, the Commanders made it real. Styles had also clicked with linebackers coach Ken Norton during the visit.

Rich shared a window into Styles the person. After the combine workout, an NFL Network producer congratulated him at the team hotel restaurant. Styles looked the producer in the eye and asked if he really thought so.

Not sarcastic. Genuine.

"He's got really high standards," Quinn said.