​Last offseason, the Los Angeles Rams identified an opening on their defensive line and moved decisively to fill it. They allowed Bobby Brown III to depart in free agency and pivoted quickly to Poona Ford, a choice that has already shown its value. Ford stands out as one of the league’s premier run-stopping nose tackles and also brings meaningful inside pressure on the quarterback. Now entering his second season with the Rams, he is poised to continue making a significant impact alongside Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske.
Ford ranks 17th on our list of the Rams’ most important players for 2026. During the early days of free agency last year, Los Angeles rewarded Ford with the largest contract of his career—a three-year deal worth $27.6 million, with $17.1 million guaranteed. The deal signaled a clear commitment to shoring up a deficiency on the line by adding a proven veteran who could supplant Brown and stabilize the interior.
In the 17 games he played that year, starting 10, Ford tallied 47 tackles, two sacks, four tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits, and one batted pass. He has no plans to relinquish his starting role at nose tackle, even with the Rams’ late-spring addition of Tim Keenan III in this year’s draft. Ford finished the season with one of the best interior-defensive performances in the league, earning an 86.1 overall grade—the fourth-highest among interior defenders. His ability to rush from the inside keeps him on the field for all three downs, except in specific passing situations where Los Angeles might opt for more speed on the field.
Ford serves as an ideal complement to Fiske and Turner. His imposing frame consumes space, enabling his teammates to win one-on-one battles and execute their responsibilities more effectively. The 86.1 grade Ford posted last season was his best since his rookie year, when he earned an 88.2, and it came over a substantially higher number of snaps. He logged a career-best 34 pressures and 33 stops, delivering solid contributions in both run defense and pass rushing.
The contrast with the Brown era highlights Ford’s impact. When Brown manned the middle, the Rams received little pressure from the nose tackle position—only three total pressures on 230 pass-rush snaps. Ford, by comparison, generated 34 pressures on 342 pass-rush opportunities. That stark difference underscores the positive effect of Ford’s presence on the defense as a whole. Ford routinely disrupts the interior pocket, driving quarterbacks out of their comfort zone and into the waiting arms of Los Angeles’ edge rushers, even when he isn’t the one registering the sack.
Beyond his pass-rush contributions, Ford’s run-stuffing ability disrupts opposing rushing attempts. By clogging the middle, he often forces ball carriers to bounce outside and improvise behind the line of scrimmage, buying time for the Rams’ linebackers and defensive ends to close in. In essence, Ford’s presence stabilizes the front seven, enabling Turner and Fiske to execute their own schemes with more freedom and efficiency.
This alignment also matters for the Rams’ broader defensive philosophy. Ford’s interior pressure helps to collapse pockets, making it harder for quarterbacks to step up and extend plays. Even when Ford isn’t credited with sacks, his ability to collapse the interior and disrupt timing creates opportunities for the defense to generate disruption along the edges. His physicality and efficiency at the point of attack create a foundation that allows Los Angeles to diversify its front-seven looks and keep opponents guessing.
Looking ahead, Ford’s second season in the Rams’ system should yield even more dividends. With a year of familiarity under his belt and the extra dimension he provides in the middle, Ford can continue to anchor the run defense and contribute meaningfully as a pass rusher from the interior. His chemistry with Turner and Fiske will be a key driver of the unit’s performance, as they can exploit opportunities created by Ford’s arcs and collisions up front. As the Rams continue to build a cohesive frontline, Ford’s role is central to their plans for a more formidable and versatile defense in 2026.