Heading into the NFL’s 2024 season, defense was proposed to be the strongest aspect on the Las Vegas Raiders roster. There didn’t seem to be a glaring hole anywhere on the unit. However, as Sin City lost game after game, and the year went on, injuries caused the unit to wear down. Those injuries did give some opportunities for younger guys to make an impact, though, like Isaiah Pola-Mao.
When Marcus Epps went down for the season in Week 3, Pola-Mao’s role completely changed. The 25-year-old got much more playing time from that point forward, remaining in the lineup for the rest of the season. He had his ups and downs, but there were a lot of encouraging signs from the former undrafted free agent who had never started a game before this past year.
In fact, Pola-Mao was so effective during his ’24 campaign that Las Vegas felt comfortable letting both of their starting safeties walk during free agency, knowing they have a formidable replacement on the roster.
Let’s take a look at his season as a whole.
Las Vegas Raiders Player Review: Isaiah Pola-Mao
Pola-Mao’s best moments
Statistically, Pola-Mao’s best game of the year came in the Raiders win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. During that showing, the third-year safety had 11 tackles with seven-of-11 being solo tackles.
Perhaps more importantly, Pola-Mao also managed to force two fumbles.
That wasn’t his only strong performance of the season. Two weeks later, in the Raiders’ last game of the year, Pola-Mao recorded nine tackles. He had the same amount in the Raiders loss to the Atlanta Falcons three weeks prior; one game before the aforementioned contest against Jacksonville.
Pola-Mao pieced together another impressive eight-tackle performance earlier in the year against the Pittsburgh Steelers as well.
A closer look at Pola-Mao’s season
Pola-Mao’s final stat-line for the 2024 season was pretty solid. He played in all 17 games, starting the final 14 after Marcus Epps went down for the season. He would finish the year with five passes defended and two forced fumbles alongside 89 tackles–two for a loss and one sack.
All things considered, while the numbers don’t scream greatness, this year was a massive step up for Pola-Mao. He hadn’t started a game before the 2024 season, and ended up being essentially a full-time starter. That was a role he held down well.
Although the USC alum had his tough moments and growing pains at times, he remained a consistent contributor for the Raiders at the back of their defense.
The unsung part of Pola-Mao’s game this past season was his work against the run. With a grade of 72.4 via Pro Football Focus on such downs, Epps’ replacement finished with the 27th-highest grade among all players at his position across the NFL to record at least 200 snaps on running downs.
Tre’von Moehrig, who finished the season as the sixth-highest graded safety against the run (87.5), was the only defensive back on Sin City’s roster to best Pola-Mao in this area.
Now, Pola-Mao will take over as a starting safety in Las Vegas, just as he did for the greater part of his ’24 campaign.
*Top Photo: Ron Chinoy/ USA Today Sports
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