PFF named this defensive player the Rams' 'secret superstar' in 2025

A lot went right for the Los Angeles Rams this year.

The roster was already rock-solid, but general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay made some savvy moves this offseason to round out some rough edges in various areas of the team. And now, they're headed to the NFC title game.

The superstars on the team are obvious: Guys like Matthew Stafford , Davante Adams , Jared Verse , Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams affect almost every play of every game. But there were some unheralded stars that shined throughout the year.

According to Pro Football Focus' Zach Tantillo , interior defensive lineman Poona Ford was that man for the Rams. Ford swapped L.A. teams from the Chargers to the Rams and immediately upgraded the team's defensive front — especially the run defense.

Ford proved to be one of the league’s most impactful offseason additions after signing a three-year, $27.6 million contract with the Rams in free agency. He is the Rams’ highest-graded defender with an 88.1 PFF overall grade, bolstering an already vaunted defensive line. Ford also posted an 80.9 PFF run-defense grade, and 24.8% of his run-defense snaps resulted in a positive grade, the highest rate on the team.

Meanwhile, the Rams went from 26th in rushing yards allowed to seventh, which is a big reason why the defense ranks 10th in points allowed and is one of the top units in the NFL.

Ford had a great year, too. He finished the regular season with a career-best 47 combined tackles and two sacks, which was one less than his career-high. In the playoffs so far, Ford tallied six combined tackles and one sack.

This is exactly the type of small move that turns good teams into championship contenders.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: PFF named this defensive player the Rams' 'secret superstar' in 2025