When the Los Angeles Rams’ all-world defensive tackle Aaron Donald retired after the 2023 season, a lot of fans worried about how the defense would survive in his absence. Turns out, they did just fine. Young stars like Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, and Braden Fiske stepped into the void, especially as pass rushers.
But their defense against the run did suffer a bit. The Rams went from being a top ten run defense, giving up just over 100 yards per game in 2023 to the bottom ten, ceding over 130 without Donald.
One of the steps taken by GM Les Snead to address that problem involved a former Seattle Seahawks fan favorite. And so far, it is working out better than even Snead might have expected.
Former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Poona Ford has found new life with the Rams
Poona Ford arrived in Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He had been a star in college at Texas, but NFL scouts were scared off by his size. Poona Ford didn’t really have a prototypical body for an NFL defensive lineman.
Standing just 5’11” and weighing 310 pounds, no one doubted his power. But the concern was that his lack of length would prevent him from ever being a difference maker on an NFL squad. But Ford made the team as a rookie and, within a couple of years, was a reliable starter.
He played mostly nose tackle for Pete Carroll and did far more than simply use his bulk to take up space in the middle of the line. Ford was able to generate pass pressure and usually could be counted on for making a play or two in the backfield against opposing runners.
Ford left Seattle after the 2022 season and spent a very disappointing year with Buffalo in 2023. There was some thought that perhaps the 28-year-old had reached the end of his career. But he had a strong bounce back with the Chargers in 2024 – three sacks, eight tackles-for-loss. He parlayed that into a very nice three-year deal with the Rams beginning this season.
So far, it has paid off nicely.
Ford is proving that last year was no fluke. His numbers are very similar to what he achieved with the Chargers. He is currently the sixth-highest-rated interior lineman in the entire NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). And his run defense has been even better. He trails only the Jets’ Quinnen Williams and the Chargers’ Teair Tart amongst all defensive tackles against the run.
His individual play has translated into much greater team success. The Rams are once again a top ten run defense. Their team numbers – 105.9 yards-rushing-allowed and an average of 3.9 yards-per-run - are even better than they were back in 2023, when Aaron Donald was manning the middle.
Seattle has no shortage of quality on its own defensive line. With Leonard Williams leading the way, veteran Jarran Reed and rising star Byron Murphy II are producing at a very high level. And things should only improve if and when rookie Riley Mills returns from his ACL injury. That makes it a lot easier for Seahawks fans to enjoy the success a former favorite is having with another team.
Of course, when Seattle travels down to SoCal next month, the 12s would like nothing better than to see Jalen Sundell and Grey Zabel double-team Poona Ford ten yards off the line. But in any other situation, Hawks fans can enjoy how well their discovery continues to perform.