Elijah Ponder may not be the name that jumps off the page when people talk about the Patriots, but he’s becoming impossible to leave out of the conversation.
New England spent heavily again this offseason, adding veteran pieces like wide receiver A.J. Brown, First-Team All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, wideout Romeo Doubs, edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
That has pushed plenty of attention toward the bigger additions and the more recognizable names on the defense. But the player the Raiders need to keep closest tabs on might be the one getting the least buzz.
Ponder quietly put together a strong rookie season last year, finishing third on the Patriots in sacks and seventh in pressures while playing just 210 pass-rush snaps in 2025, the eighth-most on the team. With Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson no longer in the picture, the path was there for him to take on a bigger role.
He has done exactly that.
Now Ponder leads New England in sacks, quarterback hits and pressures while also logging the most snaps among the team’s defensive linemen. His production has been steady and varied: 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and 13 pressures, along with two fumble recoveries, a touchdown and a team-leading four tackles for loss. He has become one of the Patriots’ most disruptive players without much national attention following him.
That’s what makes him such a problem for Las Vegas.
Ponder doesn’t stay in one spot, which means the Raiders’ offensive line will have to find him and adjust to him snap after snap. He plays roughly equal snaps on both sides of the line, forcing constant communication and quick recognition from the offense.
The matchup gets tougher from there. Ponder brings speed off the edge, and he’s added speed-to-power to his game as well.
His bend around the corner is the kind that can wreck a rep in a hurry, and he’s shown he can read play-action and bootlegs without biting hard. New England also uses him on stunts and picks at times, giving him even more ways to create pressure.
That’s a lot for an offensive line to sort through, especially against a player who is seeing more and more of the field.
The Raiders have generally held up well in pass protection this season, particularly at tackle, with last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs standing out as the exception. But that performance also showed some of the ways this front can be attacked, and Ponder has the tape to study.
He may not be the most familiar name on the Patriots’ roster, but he’s the one the Raiders can’t afford to lose track of on Sunday.
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