Elijah Ponder

LB · NE · Active

Age 24College Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo)Depth WLB #1

Cumulative season CFI50.2#47 of 103 · same-position season grade

Weekly CFI · Week 264.3#20 of 83 · same-position weekly grade

Predictive CFI · vs JAX51.8Week 3 · experimental projection · low confidence

How this is estimated

Experimental EDGE projection: qualified current-season grades from the previous four weeks, weighted by snaps and recency and regressed toward 50. Opponent unit pass and run performance adjusts the estimate by at most four points. Limited game history; low confidence.

Next matchup

Current schedule and opponent context

Week 3

Away · 2026-09-27 · 1:00 PMNE vs JAXEverBank Stadium · 83°F · 8 mph wind · Mostly Sunny

Matchup rank#25#1 is the easiest opposing offense by EPA/play

CFI history and comparable paths

Qualified weekly form plus the closest same-position index profiles

Same-position context

Elijah PonderBrian Burns · comparableDavid Bailey · comparableJosaiah Stewart · comparable

Brian BurnsNYG · 50.2 CFI David BaileyNYJ · 50.3 CFI Josaiah StewartLA · 50.1 CFI

Weekly CFI history

Same-position percentile grade for each qualifying week in 2026. The season CFI above is the cumulative grade.

Week	Weekly CFI	Rank	Qualified players	Volume
1	30.8	#79	90	39
2	64.3	#20	83	54

Advanced Player Research

Production, usage, efficiency, and indexes for 2026

Performance · 2026

Advanced efficiency

defense

Pressure rate: 11.76%
Pass rush win rate: 10.2%
Run stop rate: 5.71%
Sacks / pass rush: 1.96%
Hits / pass rush: 1.96%
Hurries / pass rush: 7.84%
Missed tackle rate: 0%
Defensive grade: 66.24
Pass rush grade: 65.75
Run defense grade: 54.65
Coverage grade: 70.22
Pressures: 6
Charted sacks: 1
Charted QB hits: 1
QB hurries: 4
Batted passes: 0
Run stops: 2
Charted solo tackles: 4
Charted assists: 2
Missed tackles: 0
Defensive snaps: 93
Pass rush snaps: 51
Run defense snaps: 36

Core indexes · experimental v1.4

CoreFootball Index (CFI) #47 of 10350.2

Same-position rank: #47 of 103. Eligible position cohort: players.

Input	Value	Percentile	Weight

Weekly game log

Week	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	INT	Forced fumbles	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss	Passes defended
1	0	2	0	0	10%	0	0	0	0	0
2	3	5	1	2	12.9%	0	0	1	3	0

Home and away

Production by game setting

Split	Games	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	INT	Forced fumbles	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss	Passes defended
HomeSmall sample	1	3	5	1	2	12.9%	0	0	1	3	0
AwaySmall sample	1	0	2	0	0	10%	0	0	0	0	0

Indoor and outdoor

Production by game setting

Split	Games	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	INT	Forced fumbles	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss	Passes defended
OutdoorSmall sample	2	3	7	1	2	11.8%	0	0	1	3	0

Temperature

Production by game setting

Split	Games	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	INT	Forced fumbles	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss	Passes defended
40–69°FSmall sample	1	3	5	1	2	12.9%	0	0	1	3	0
70°F and aboveSmall sample	1	0	2	0	0	10%	0	0	0	0	0

Wind

Production by game setting

Split	Games	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	INT	Forced fumbles	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss	Passes defended
Below 10 mphSmall sample	2	3	7	1	2	11.8%	0	0	1	3	0

Opponent history

Performance against opponents across imported seasons

Opponent	Games	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss	Last meeting
LVSmall sample	1	0	0	0	0	—	0	0	2025-09-07
MIASmall sample	2	1	2	1	1	—	1	1	2026-01-04
BUFSmall sample	2	1	2	0	0	—	0	0	2025-12-14
NOSmall sample	1	1	2	0	0	—	0	0	2025-10-12
TENSmall sample	1	2	2	0	0	—	0	0	2025-10-19
CLESmall sample	1	0	1	0	0	—	0	0	2025-10-26
ATLSmall sample	1	1	1	0	0	—	0	0	2025-11-02
TBSmall sample	1	1	2	1	1	—	0	1	2025-11-09
NYJSmall sample	2	3	6	1	2	—	0	1	2025-12-28
CINSmall sample	1	1	2	0	0	—	0	0	2025-11-23
NYGSmall sample	1	2	2	1	1	—	1	1	2025-12-01
BALSmall sample	1	1	2	0	0	—	0	0	2025-12-21
SEASmall sample	1	0	2	0	0	10%	0	0	2026-09-09
PITSmall sample	1	3	5	1	2	12.9%	1	3	2026-09-20

Game log

Location, game environment, workload, and production

Season	Week	Opponent	Site	Environment	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	INT	Forced fumbles	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss	Passes defended
2026	1	SEA	Away	Outdoor · 74°	0	2	0	0	10%	0	0	0	0	0
2026	2	PIT	Home	Outdoor · 63°	3	5	1	2	12.9%	0	0	1	3	0

Career totals

Regular-season totals across available career history

Season	Team	Games	Solo tackles	Combined tackles	Sacks	QB hits	Pressure rate	Fumble recoveries	Tackles for loss
2025	NE	15	14	24	4	5	—	2	4
2026	NE	2	3	7	1	2	11.8%	1	3
Career	All teams	17	17	31	5	7	11.8%	3	7

Weekly CFI is a same-position percentile grade using the published weekly play and production fields. CFI uses the same position model as the leaderboard. A dash means the source data or a qualified model is unavailable. Historical production is from nflverse; charted blocking and pressure metrics cover published charting reports only. Missing values are left blank rather than estimated.