Josh Allen's next AFC East headache just became painfully obvious

The Buffalo Bills are in a familiar spot coming out of the 2026 NFL Combine. They pick late in the first round, so it’s unlikely that most of the biggest names from the week in Indianapolis will be coming to Buffalo.

Of course, the New York Jets are also in their familiar spot, picking at the top of the draft, hoping to land a difference maker to finally change their misfortunes. Bill Mafia has seen their AFC East rival bungle their top draft selection time and time again.

Nonetheless, they have had recent success at the top of the NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball, even if they’ve since traded away the three biggest successes in that respect– Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and Jermaine Johnson.

The Jets have the chance to bring in another elite defender as they hold the No. 2 overall pick without a worthy quarterback to take in that slot. For a while, Bills Mafia had begun to settle on the Jets adding a ferocious pass rusher with that pick, either Miami’s Rueben Bain or Ohio State’s Arvell Reese. But after the Combine, the entire NFL world is buzzing about a different Buckeye who may have just assured himself to be Josh Allen’s next big headache in the AFC East.

Jets may have found perfect chess piece to counter Bills' Josh Allen

By all accounts, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles had one of the strongest Combine performances in its history. His 4.46 40-yard dash and 43.5” vertical, both of which led his position group, have scouts drooling over his athletic profile. That incredible performance, though, now has the Jets rethinking their No. 2 overall selection.

Noted Jets fan and longtime NFL voice Rich Eisen gushed about Styles’ performance the night after draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah told him the Buckeye backer had “crashed the party” for the Jets' No. 2 overall pick.

"The greatest performance at an NFL Scouting Combine I’ve ever seen. I’m not kidding."

Rich Eisen, via 'The Rich Eisen Show'

Styles, who stands 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, is built like an edge, plays off-ball backer, and, clearly, is one of the best athletes in this class. His athletic profile could allow him to make a mark at multiple positions across an NFL defense, on and off the line of scrimmage, and that could be music to the Jets’ ears. After all, New York is starting from scratch on defense, and just having one exceptional player can make a huge difference for the franchise as they begin yet another rebuild.

Unfortunately, that’s not music to Bills Mafia or Josh Allen. Sure, the Jets are a long way off from competing, but now that the Combine has come and gone, clearly the Jets have a few enticing options with that ‘unofficial’ pick in the draft. And Styles might be one of the more terrifying options they’re entertaining.