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A wait of 36 days remain until the New Orleans Saints take the field for their 2026 opening game. New Orleans will be on the road to start the season, playing at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wearing No. 36 for the Saints in training camp is Lorenzo Styles Jr., a rookie defensive back.
Styles is a fifth round pick out of Ohio State, a program where the Saints have had some great success. Already turning heads in camp, Styles could make an impact for the defense as a rookie. He is also our latest Saints Player of the Day.
A two-time Ohio state champion at Pickerington High School, Styles chose the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to begin his collegiate career. Styles was recruited as a wide receiver, catching 24 passes for 344 yards and a score as a 2021 freshman with the Fighting Irish. In 2022, he pulled in 30 receptions for 340 yards and a touchdown. After the 2022 season, Styles would move from Notre Dame to the Ohio State Buckeyes through the transfer portal.
Joining younger brother Sonny Styles at Ohio State, Lorenzo switched to defensive back but took a redshirt year in 2023, playing sparingly in only six games. He'd see some significant action in 2024 for the national champion Buckeyes, breaking up 4 passes and recording 16 tackles. In 2025, Styles had 30 tackles and broke up 3 passes. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Sonny Styles was the seventh overall choice in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, getting selected by Washington. Elder brother Lorenzo Styles Jr. had to wait a little longer, falling to the back part of the fifth round to the Saints. Father Lorenzo Styles Sr. was a linebacker from 1995 to 2000 for the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. will have a strong chance to earn a role in the Saints secondary. He's relatively inexperienced as a defensive back and will have to show better instincts and anticipation. However, Styles has elite athleticism and the ability to play either safety or cornerback. He showed rapid improvement each season after the switch to defense and is extremely effective on kickoff and punt coverage with some limited but explosive experience as a kick returner. Styles could compete for the hybrid role vacated with the offseason loss of Alontae Taylor. Look for the Saints to use Styles' athletic ability and versatility in different roles throughout the preseason.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Lorenzo Styles Jr is the Saints Player of Day 36
Continue reading...
Styles is a fifth round pick out of Ohio State, a program where the Saints have had some great success. Already turning heads in camp, Styles could make an impact for the defense as a rookie. He is also our latest Saints Player of the Day.
- Name (age): Lorenzo Styles Jr. (23)
- Hometown: Pickerington, Ohio
- Position: Safety
- Height, weight: 6-foot, 194 pounds
- College: Ohio State Buckeyes
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.99
- Drafted: Round 5, 172 overall in 2026 (Saints)
- NFL experience: Rookie
- 2026 salary cap hit: $990,197
A two-time Ohio state champion at Pickerington High School, Styles chose the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to begin his collegiate career. Styles was recruited as a wide receiver, catching 24 passes for 344 yards and a score as a 2021 freshman with the Fighting Irish. In 2022, he pulled in 30 receptions for 340 yards and a touchdown. After the 2022 season, Styles would move from Notre Dame to the Ohio State Buckeyes through the transfer portal.
Joining younger brother Sonny Styles at Ohio State, Lorenzo switched to defensive back but took a redshirt year in 2023, playing sparingly in only six games. He'd see some significant action in 2024 for the national champion Buckeyes, breaking up 4 passes and recording 16 tackles. In 2025, Styles had 30 tackles and broke up 3 passes. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Sonny Styles was the seventh overall choice in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, getting selected by Washington. Elder brother Lorenzo Styles Jr. had to wait a little longer, falling to the back part of the fifth round to the Saints. Father Lorenzo Styles Sr. was a linebacker from 1995 to 2000 for the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. will have a strong chance to earn a role in the Saints secondary. He's relatively inexperienced as a defensive back and will have to show better instincts and anticipation. However, Styles has elite athleticism and the ability to play either safety or cornerback. He showed rapid improvement each season after the switch to defense and is extremely effective on kickoff and punt coverage with some limited but explosive experience as a kick returner. Styles could compete for the hybrid role vacated with the offseason loss of Alontae Taylor. Look for the Saints to use Styles' athletic ability and versatility in different roles throughout the preseason.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Lorenzo Styles Jr is the Saints Player of Day 36
Continue reading...
