Former Texas defensive tackle Poona Ford has quickly made a name for himself after signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Ford attended the University of Texas from 2014-2017 and was named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year as a senior. He compiled 31 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks throughout his final year on the Forty Acres.
In terms of his pre-draft process, Ford was often looked down upon due to his size, but his motor impressed many NFL scouts during 1-on-1 drills at the Senior Bowl.
Unfortunately, Ford was still overlooked by every NFL team in the 2018 NFL draft. After signing with the Seahawks shortly after the draft concluded, Ford made Seattle’s 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie.
The rest is history.
The former Longhorn rocketed up the depth chart and became a full-time starter in just his second NFL season. Ford is now the Seahawks starting nose tackle, although he’s set to test the market this offseason as a restricted free agent.
He was the only Texas ex listed among PFF’s top players from the 2020 NFL season at No. 101 overall. The rankings represent the top individual performances this season with a “all positions are created equal” mindset. Past or future play is not accounted for.
Poona Ford has become arguably the Seattle Seahawks‘ best defensive lineman, and this season he was the only one standing up and making plays at times. He finished the year with a PFF run-defense grade of 73.0 and had 28 defensive stops.
Ford was unranked on this particular list in 2019. After witnessing his confidence, resiliency, and determination over the few short years that he’s been in the NFL, it’s a sure bet that he’ll climb the rankings in no time.