Elijah Ponder

New England Patriots

Pos EDGE

Updated October 8, 2026

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Model Score

74.6 MODEL

2025

71.8

2026

74.6

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

First STTM ranking at tier 6 (#42) in year two as a 2024 FCS UDFA in the Patriots' edge rotation puts Ponder in the rare class of late-bloomer journeyman pass-rushers with structural starter ceiling. The Cal Poly FCS origin plus the Patriots' position-specific coaching gives him basic developmental floor. The 2026 question is whether Ponder holds tier 6 or better across a full second starter season or whether the 2025 finish was a one-year context spike.

Ponder came out of Cal Poly (FCS) as a 2024 undrafted free agent and bounced through multiple practice squads before landing with the New England Patriots in 2025. He emerged into a rotational pass-rush role and earned his first STTM appearance at tier 6 (#42) in 2025, an unusual year-two emergence for a Day 3 FCS UDFA.

Strengths

First sustained NFL starter season ending in tier 6 (#42) STTM finish as a 2024 FCS UDFA puts him above his draft-slot expectation.
Cal Poly FCS pedigree plus the Patriots' position-specific coaching creates the structural environment that captures Day 3 UDFA ceiling.

Concerns

Single tier 6 finish without prior STTM history puts the 2025 production entirely in the one-year-sample risk category.
Patriots' broader defensive identity transition plus the QB rebuild compresses the structural support around Ponder's recovery.

What to watch: Whether Ponder holds 10 or more starts in 2026 or whether the role compresses back to swing depth.