From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Cal Poly EDGE Elijah Ponder.
#14 ELIJAH PONDER/EDGE CAL POLY – 6023, 257 pounds (Senior)
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Elijah Ponder | 6023/257 | 10 | 32 7/8 | 80 1/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.57 | N/A | 4.20 | 7.00 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 11’0″ | 41 | 22 |
*Pro Day Numbers
The Good
– Made a big impact in the Shrine Bowl game where he created a handful of pressures and played the run well
– Great Pro Day that would land him in the 93rd percentile for relative athletic score by being highlighted with elite explosion and agility testing
– Shows discipline by waiting backside in the run game in case of a cut back
– Offers a nice pop on initial contact to drive his opponent back
– Fast and explosive getting off the line to beat the tackle to his spot
– Shows the ability to drop back into zone coverage
– Plays the passing lane as a rusher
– Adds great value on special teams having a few blocked kicks in his college career as well as blocking one in high school
– Gets good leverage by keeping a low pad level through most of his rep
– Flashes a solid spin that he should incorporate more into his rush
The Bad
– Below-average frame with height falling in the 27th percentile and weight falling in the 45th percentile
– Needs to be more active with hand usage so that his rush doesn’t stall
– Double teams take him out of the play completely
– Can get too caught up in playing his block that he allows the runner to slip by him
– Is easily rounded out by tackles with a limited skillset to fight to get inside
– Can struggle to finish plays which is in-part due to a slower game speed that causes him to get out-ran
– Lacks a solid go-to second move if his initial fails
Bio
– About 22 years old
– 47 games played for Cal Poly from 2020 to 2024
– 167 tackles, eight pass deflections, 26.5 sacks, 43.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and one interception in his college career
– 40 tackles, two pass deflections, seven sacks, and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2024
– No known injuries
– Two-star OLB in his 2020 high school class from La Puente, CA
– As high school senior was named most valuable linemen of the Mission League after recording 57 tackles, 12 sacks, and recovering a fumble
– Committed to Cal Poly because he loved the location and liked how he could study what he wanted to
– Majoring in Architectural Engineering
– In 2023 tied the program record with 17 quarterback hurries and was the first player in program history since 2005 with
– He sells his own merchandise on elijahponder.com which includes clothing with his “EP” logo and autographed trading cards
– Second player in program history to earn back to back first team All-Big Sky honors
Tape Breakdown
Something I saw from the Shrine Bowl week is Ponder’s attempt to add more of a finesse game to his repertoire. Here you can see his swim move and it creates a pressure that causes Kyle McCord to roll out of the pocket. This addition to his game is something that he hardly showed on film and shows constant improvement in his game. He is usually pretty static with his hand usage and just settles with using power.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 21, 2025
Ponder would have received my vote for Defensive MVP of the Shrine Bowl. He was constantly creating pressure and playing the run at a high level through the entire day. Ponder even created pressure on the pick-six that eventually led to O’Donnell Fortune getting the Defensive MVP award. This kind of dominance in a game against a pretty high level of competition is impressive, especially when you consider all of these guys are fighting for roster spots every play.
Ponder is a very disciplined player. He is always containing the backside in case of a read-option or a backside cut back. You can see that here against Idaho. He contains the backside while he diagnoses who is keeping the ball on this play-action. Once he sees the quarterback looking to pass, Ponder explodes and attempts to disrupt the pass. This mixture of using your head and playing with instincts is what teams look for.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 21, 2025
I love how fast and explosive Ponder can be off the line. Here, he converts that speed into power which knocks the offensive tackle back. Ponder is then able to use his leverage to his advantage and blow past the tackle for a sack on the quarterback. For a player that showed limited hand usage on film, he had to find a way to win reps and this is an example of how he found to win pretty consistently.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 21, 2025
Though it is harder to see from the broadcast angle, this is another fantastic clip for showing Ponder using speed to power. He gets off the line and is able to beat the tackle to his spot where he then proceeds to use power for a slight knockback. This then allows Ponder to have a straight line towards the quarterback. Ponder sacks the quarterback while still being engaged with the offensive tackle which amplifies how strong Ponder’s strength in-game is.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 22, 2025
Conclusion
Elijah Ponder left a noticeable impact on both Cal Poly and the Shrine Bowl. He is a developing player who’s strength comes from speed off the line and power. While he has room to work on his finesse, he showed flashes of that at the Shrine Bowl which leaves hope for his game to become more versatile in the future. As it stands right now, teams know they are getting a disciplined player who tested as a freak athlete at his pro day and that is sure to get some teams interested in him.
My pro comparison for Ponder is Josh Paschal. Both tested as relatively freak athletes with Ponder’s unofficial pro day athletic testing landing in the 93rd percentile and Paschal’s landing in the 97th percentile. While Paschal was listed as 11 pounds heavier coming out of college, I feel Ponder plays bigger than he is by using power as often as he does.
Projection: Undrafted Free Agent
Depot Draft Grade: 5.5 – Undrafted Free Agent (Camp Invite)
Games Watched: Shrine Bowl (2025), Idaho (2024), Montana (2024), Idaho (2023)
