When Sonny Styles heard his name called seventh overall by the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, the Styles family's draft celebration was just getting started. Hours later, on Saturday afternoon, Lorenzo Styles Jr. completed one of the more compelling NFL Draft storylines of 2026 when the New Orleans Saints selected him in the fifth round with the 172nd overall pick — making the Styles brothers one of the most talked-about sibling pairs in this year's class.
But Lorenzo's path to the NFL is far more complicated than his brother's. While Sonny went in the top ten as a consensus blue-chip prospect, Lorenzo spent much of draft weekend in a familiar purgatory — waiting, watching, wondering if his name would ever be called. Reports surfaced during the draft asking why Lorenzo hadn't been selected yet after Sonny's selection, a question that speaks to both the complexity of his scouting profile and the unusual nature of his college career.
Now that the dust has settled, here's everything you need to know about Lorenzo Styles Jr. — who he is, what he brings to New Orleans, and why his late-round selection might turn out to be one of the Saints' better draft-day decisions.
Who Is Lorenzo Styles Jr.?
Lorenzo Styles Jr. is the son of Lorenzo Styles Sr., a former NFL linebacker who played for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1990s. Athleticism runs deep in this family — and with Sonny now heading to Washington and Lorenzo bound for New Orleans, the Styles name is officially a household one in the NFL.
What makes Lorenzo's story particularly interesting is that he didn't arrive in Columbus as a safety. He began his college career as a wide receiver at Notre Dame, where he showed enough ability as a pass-catcher to be recruited as one of the more intriguing skill-position prospects in his class. But Lorenzo made a bold decision: he transferred to Ohio State and reinvented himself as a defensive back.
That transition — from offensive weapon to defensive specialist — is rare, and it's a major reason why his draft stock was so hard to pin down. Scouts were essentially evaluating a player who had only a limited resume at his new position. Cleveland.com's scouting breakdown highlights both the upside and the developmental uncertainty that came with drafting him.
The 4.27 Speed That Turned Heads at the Combine
Whatever questions existed about Lorenzo's experience at safety, his athleticism was never in doubt. At the 2026 NFL Combine, he posted a 4.27-second 40-yard dash — a number that puts him among the fastest defensive backs in the entire draft class.
Speed like that doesn't just translate to coverage. In today's NFL, where offenses are faster and passing windows are tighter than ever, a safety who can close on a ball carrier from 15 yards away in under two seconds is a genuine weapon. It also explains why the Saints, who have been aggressive in building a more athletic secondary, were willing to spend a fifth-round pick on a player who was projected by some — including Buckeyes Wire, which had him going anywhere from the sixth round to undrafted free agency — to potentially slip off the board entirely.
The combine number was a statement. It told teams: whatever you think about the position switch, don't sleep on the upside here.
The Ohio State Connection: A Buckeye Pipeline to the NFL
Lorenzo Styles Jr. was the ninth Ohio State player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft — a remarkable number that underscores just how dominant the Buckeyes' program has become as an NFL factory. Ohio State has consistently produced first-round talent, but the depth of this class shows that even the later selections out of Columbus carry legitimate NFL pedigree.
For Lorenzo, playing at Ohio State was about more than just the name on the jersey. The Buckeyes gave him the opportunity to develop his game in one of the most competitive defensive environments in college football, where he was surrounded by future NFL talent at every position. That experience matters. Players who go through Ohio State's system have typically faced NFL-caliber competition week after week, and that seasoning tends to show up when they reach the professional level.
His 2025 season included a standout special teams moment that gave draft analysts a clear look at his explosiveness in space: a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown against UCLA. That play alone demonstrated his ability to read blocks, hit gaps at full speed, and take the ball to the house — exactly the kind of big-play capability that teams covet on special teams units.
The Brother Factor: Sonny Styles and the Draft Story Everyone Was Following
It's impossible to tell Lorenzo's draft story without talking about Sonny. When NBC Sports confirmed the Saints' selection, the headline practically wrote itself: Sonny's brother, drafted hours after his sibling's top-10 selection.
Sonny Styles went seventh overall to the Washington Commanders — a massive pick for a player who was considered one of the premier defensive prospects in the entire class. The two brothers represent very different trajectories: Sonny was a can't-miss prospect who entered the draft with a polished profile and high-floor projections; Lorenzo was a developmental piece with elite athleticism and a non-traditional path.
The social media frenzy during Saturday's later rounds was real. Fans were watching Lorenzo's name not get called in the third round, then the fourth, asking what was happening. Yahoo Sports addressed the question directly, noting that his position switch and limited experience at safety were legitimate factors giving teams pause. By the time New Orleans finally made the call in the fifth round, it felt like a release of tension for a family that had been waiting all weekend.
The Styles brothers won't be on the same team — Washington and New Orleans are in different conferences — but they'll face each other during the season if schedules align, which would make for one of the more compelling storyline matchups of the 2026 NFL season.
What Lorenzo Styles Jr. Brings to the New Orleans Saints
Yahoo Sports reported on Lorenzo's selection in the context of the Saints building out their secondary depth. New Orleans has had ongoing questions about their back-end defense, and adding a player with Lorenzo's speed and versatility gives them a developmental asset who could contribute on multiple fronts.
His value in the near term is most likely on special teams. The 100-yard kickoff return at Ohio State isn't just a highlight reel play — it's evidence that he understands leverage, angles, and how to use blocks in the open field. For a fifth-round pick trying to make an NFL roster, special teams excellence is often the difference between making the 53-man roster and being cut. Lorenzo has a realistic path to contributing there immediately.
At safety, the projection is more long-term. His athleticism gives him the raw tools to develop into a legitimate starter, but the position switch from wide receiver means he's still building the instinctual reads and coverage habits that NFL offenses will attack relentlessly. The Saints' coaching staff will need to be patient, but the ceiling on a 4.27 safety with receiver instincts — someone who understands route running from the inside out — is genuinely intriguing.
Draft Grade Analysis: Was This a Good Pick for New Orleans?
Draft grade analysts have weighed in on the Saints' decision, and the consensus is cautiously optimistic. At pick 172, you're not looking for a plug-and-play starter. You're looking for upside, athleticism, and coachability — and Lorenzo checks all three boxes.
The risk is real: players who switch positions in college sometimes struggle to develop the football IQ needed at their new spot in the NFL, where the game is exponentially faster and the margin for error essentially disappears. But the reward scenario — a safety who runs a 4.27 and has natural feel for route concepts from his time as a wide receiver — is the kind of asymmetric bet that smart front offices make in the fifth round.
For comparison, this draft class included a number of intriguing late-round picks who benefited from position versatility. The Saints have shown a willingness to develop players over time rather than demanding immediate production from mid-to-late round selections, which bodes well for Lorenzo's opportunity to grow into his role. The Saints also added Bryce Lance, Trey Lance's brother, earlier in the draft, suggesting the franchise has an eye for prospects with family pedigree and athletic upside at premium positions.
The Bigger Picture: Position Switches and NFL Success
Lorenzo Styles Jr.'s career arc raises a broader question that the NFL grapples with every draft cycle: how do you evaluate a player who is still learning a position?
History offers both cautionary tales and success stories. Some players who switch positions in college never fully develop the instincts needed at their new spot. Others — particularly those moving from offense to defense — bring a unique perspective that actually makes them better players. A safety who once ran routes as a wide receiver can anticipate where a receiver is going before the route breaks. That's not something you can coach; it's internalized knowledge from years of running the same patterns.
The Saints are betting that Lorenzo's offensive background is an asset, not a liability. Given his speed and the direction the modern NFL is heading — toward more positionless, versatile defensive backs who can match up against pass-catchers in space — that bet has solid theoretical grounding. This draft produced several players built for the modern game, from Kendal Daniels, drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, to Lorenzo's own selection in the fifth round — all part of a wider trend of teams prioritizing hybrid athletes in their secondary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What round was Lorenzo Styles Jr. drafted?
Lorenzo Styles Jr. was selected in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 172nd overall, by the New Orleans Saints. He was picked on Saturday, April 25, 2026, after going unselected in the first four rounds despite significant fan attention following his brother Sonny's selection at No. 7.
What position does Lorenzo Styles Jr. play?
Lorenzo Styles Jr. plays safety, though he began his college career as a wide receiver at Notre Dame before transferring to Ohio State and making the position switch to the defensive side of the ball. His background as a receiver is considered part of his upside as a safety who understands route concepts from the inside.
Who is Lorenzo Styles Jr.'s brother?
His brother is Sonny Styles, who was selected seventh overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2026 NFL Draft — making the two brothers one of the more high-profile sibling pairs in the draft class. Their father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., played linebacker in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons.
How fast did Lorenzo Styles Jr. run at the NFL Combine?
Lorenzo ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Combine, one of the faster times recorded among defensive backs in the entire draft class. That speed was a significant factor in his eventual selection and will likely define his role on special teams early in his NFL career.
How many Ohio State players were drafted in 2026?
Lorenzo Styles Jr. was the ninth Ohio State player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, further cementing the Buckeyes' reputation as one of the premier NFL talent pipelines in college football. Ohio State has consistently placed players across multiple rounds, from top-ten picks to developmental late-round selections.
Conclusion
Lorenzo Styles Jr.'s journey to the NFL is a story about reinvention, patience, and the strange alchemy of the draft process. He spent draft weekend in an uncomfortable spotlight — the brother of a top-ten pick, waiting to see if his own name would be called, projected by some to potentially go undrafted entirely.
Instead, the New Orleans Saints made a calculated bet in the fifth round: that a 4.27 safety with a wide receiver's understanding of routes and the athleticism to cover ground in a hurry is worth the developmental investment. The position switch adds uncertainty, but uncertainty and upside are often the same thing in the fifth round.
Whether Lorenzo Styles Jr. becomes a starter in New Orleans or carves out a career as a core special teamer, his story is already worth telling. He didn't get the top-ten headline his brother got. He got something more interesting: a reason to prove the doubters wrong, in one of the NFL's most storied cities, wearing black and gold.
Watch for his name to come up early in Saints training camp. With a combine time that turns heads and a chip on his shoulder earned from waiting all weekend, Lorenzo Styles Jr. has the ingredients of a player who is going to make every scout who passed on him regret it.
