Saints selected Ohio State S Lorenzo Styles Jr. with the No. 172 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

25 April 2026

Styles Jr. (6’0"/194) is a traits-driven projection after converting from wide receiver, pairing a near-perfect 9.99 RAS with rare verified speed (4.27s, 100th percentile) and explosiveness that immediately pops in transition reps and recovery situations. Over 334 career coverage snaps, he allowed 31 receptions on 51 targets (60.8 percentile) for 340 yards with a 66.0 coverage grade in 2025, showing incremental growth after a 48.2 mark the year prior. Styles’ 11.0 yards per reception allowed and 67-yard long reception underscore the current gap in route recognition and deep-phase tracking. He does flash improving ball skills underneath, smoother short-area transitions and special teams value, backed by 13 stops and 31 tackles despite a 15.9 percent missed tackle rate. Styles remains an upside bet as a developmental outside corner whose elite athletic ceiling will intrigue teams, but his lack of instincts and route anticipation likely caps his upside.