Patriots coach says team ‘lucky’ to have rookie pass rusher

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Patriots coach says team ‘lucky’ to have rookie pass rusher

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Sat, Nov 29, 2025 ·

3 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – Elijah Ponder made a good impression this offseason. An undrafted free agent, the edge rusher looked like an under-the-radar gem for the Patriots . That’s why he made the team’s 53-man roster.

As this season’s gone on, the rookie continues to impress.

Following the trade deadline, where the Patriots traded away veteran edge rusher Keion White , Ponder was elevated up the team’s depth chart. With two sacks in the last three games, this rookie continues to make a good impression on his position coach, Mike Smith .

“He’s just getting better every week,” Smith said. “There’s still a handful of things he’s got to work on and always got to work on, but he’s just a kid that man, we’re lucky to get him. It was a great find. It’s a great one.”

A veteran outside linebackers coach, who worked in Kansas City , Green Bay, and Minnesota before coming to New England , Smith has been a big fan of Ponder since training camp. The assistant called the rookie one of the best undrafted free agents he’s seen since his time in the NFL.

Smith said Ponder shows a high football IQ for a first-year player. That says a lot considering the edge rusher came from a small school, Cal Poly, before entering the NFL. This offseason, Ponder beat out fifth-round pick Bradyn Swinson for a roster spot. After the team traded White to San Francisco , Ponder became one of the top backups, with Anfernee Jennings , behind Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson .

Since the trade deadline, Ponder’s playing time has gone up. He’s played 50 defensive snaps in the last three games. Ponder played 53 defensive snaps in the first seven games before the deadline.

Ponder’s taken advantage of the opportunity. He notched his first NFL sack in Tampa Bay against quarterback Baker Mayfield . The rookie added another the next week against the New York Jets .

Smith said that sometimes he’ll be at practice with senior defensive assistant Ben McAdoo and marvel at Ponder’s abilities.

“He’s another kid that’s smart, man, for his age. He’s well above a rookie,” Smith said. “… He just moves like a vet. He was very smooth. He’s strong. He’s starting to understand the leverage and stuff. Sometimes I just watch him with McAdoo. He’s over there with me, and we both sometimes just stop and look at each other like, ‘Wow, that was pretty impressive that he can bend like that at that size.’ He’s another guy that can play multiple positions.

“Like I said from the beginning, the kid’s got a bright future.”

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