The Seahawks roster improved a great deal in the 2022 NFL draft (at least on paper), but there are still some big holes they’ll need to fill before they’re ready to compete again. One of the positions they don’t need to worry about is defensive tackle, where they’re about as well set up as any team in the NFL. Seattle has a talented and deep rotation of interior defensive linemen, headed up by 2021 starters Al Woods and Poona Ford.
Both fly under the radar more than they should, but Ford in particular is one of the most underrated players in the game at his position. Some folks know the score, though. Ford was recently ranked No. 23 on PFF’s list of the league’s top defensive tackles.
“Ford emerged onto the scene as an undrafted free agent in 2018, grading out extremely well (90.3 PFF grade) in a limited role. He built up his snap count in each of the past three seasons to 802 defensive snaps in 2021 — 10th-most among all interior defensive linemen. While he might not quite be repeating his grading success from his rookie season each year, Ford has still earned PFF grades above 73.0 in each of the past three campaigns.”
Ford is entering the final year of his current contract and should be one of the next players to get an extension. He will turn 27 in November.
