Isaiah Pola-Mao

4-year arc: undrafted special-teamer to full-time Raiders safety in just 3 seasons.

Pola-Mao went undrafted out of USC in 2022 and made the Raiders almost entirely on special teams that year — just 13 tackles, but already flashing with 2 TFL and a sack. His 2023 stayed quiet on defense (12 tackles), but he added an interception off Tua Tagovailoa.

The 2024 season was his breakout — 55 tackles, 5 PDs, 2 FFs — as he stepped into a starting safety role. 2025 confirmed it: 57 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 INTs. He's gone from camp body to one of Las Vegas's most reliable defensive backs in 36 months.

Why it matters. Pola-Mao's jump from 12 tackles in 2023 to 55 in 2024 tracks almost exactly with his leap from rotational reserve to starting safety — the fastest development curve among UDFA Raiders DBs since 2018.

Tackles went 4.5x in one year — 12 in 2023 to 55 in 2024, and he's ranked 14th among 479 DBs over the 2-year stretch.

His first two seasons combined produced 25 tackles, 0 PDs, 1 INT, 0 FFs. His next two combined: 112 tackles, 7 PDs, 2 INTs, 2 FFs.

The difference is straightforward — defensive snaps. Pola-Mao barely registered on defense in 2022-2023 before injuries opened a path. Over the 2024-2025 stretch he ranks 14th out of 479 DBs in solo tackles — tied with Dee Alford, ahead of Minkah Fitzpatrick (111) and Derwin James (105).

Why it matters. The 4.5x jump isn't noise — it reflects a genuine role change from rotational reserve to every-down starter, and sustaining that output (57 tackles in 2025) proves it wasn't a fluke.

Only 3% of UDFA DBs post 40+ tackles in year 3 — Pola-Mao was one of 14 in the last 6 draft classes.

Over the last six draft classes (2018–2023), 467 undrafted DBs made it into the play-by-play data. Only 12 of them (2.6%) recorded 40+ solo tackles in their third season — the threshold that separates starters from rotational players.

Pola-Mao posted 55 in 2024 (year 3). The UDFA DBs who also cleared that bar include Jalen Thompson (70), Ja'Quan McMillian (55), and Andrew Wingard (54). That's the peer group — every one of them became a long-term NFL starter. Most UDFA DBs get cut by year 2.

Why it matters. Most undrafted safeties get cut before their third camp. Hitting 55 tackles in year 3 — the same threshold that earns starting designations — is a genuinely rare outcome that only a handful of UDFA DBs per draft class achieve.

2 INTs in 2025 — Pola-Mao picked off Stefon Diggs and Trevor Lawrence in the same season.

In 2025, Pola-Mao notched 2 interceptions in the same season — a rarity for any safety, and especially for one logging 57 tackles.

- Pick 1: Deep ball intended for Stefon Diggs (Drake Maye, NYJ) — hauled in at the LV 29. - Pick 2: Short left intended for D'Andre Brown (Trevor Lawrence, JAX) — touchback return.

For context: among the 167 DBs with at least 1 INT in 2025, only 85 of them (51%) had 2 or more. Pola-Mao's 2 INTs put him in a group that includes Kevin Byard (7), Devon Witherspoon (3), and Derwin James (4). The 57-tackle, 2-INT, 3-TFL line is not a box safety profile — it's a full-field safety doing both jobs.

Why it matters. Interceptions are rare events for deep safeties. Getting two in a season — including one off a Pro Bowl wide receiver on a deep ball — signals coverage responsibility, not just box presence.

112 tackles across 2024-2025 — top 3% among all NFL DBs this stretch, ranked 14th out of 479.

Over 2024-2025, Pola-Mao's 112 tackles rank him 14th out of 479 DBs — top 3% at the position. He's tied with Dee Alford, ahead of Minkah Fitzpatrick (111), Derwin James (105), and Xavier McKinney (108).

That 14th-place finish comes alongside 2 FFs in 2024 and 2 INTs in 2025 — splash plays that most high-volume tacklers in this group don't have. Only a handful of DBs in the top 30 by tackles also posted multi-INT or multi-FF seasons in this stretch.

Why it matters. 112 tackles from a safety who also produced 2 FFs (2024) and 2 INTs (2025) is the kind of stat line that earns Pro Bowl attention — splash plays plus volume is the rarest combination at the position.