# Esa Pole
**Esa Pole** (pronounced ESS-uh POH-lay; born 2001 in [Hayward, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/hayward-california)) is an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) offensive tackle who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the [Kansas City Chiefs](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-chiefs) in 2025 and started four games for the team as a rookie[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm) • [2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot). He played college football at Chabot College and Washington State University.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2001, Hayward, California[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm) |
| Size | 6 ft 7 in, 319 lb (201 cm, 144 kg)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm) |
| Position | Offensive tackle[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm) |
| College | Chabot College, then Washington State (2023–24)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm) |
| NFL entry | Undrafted free agent, Kansas City Chiefs, 2025[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot) |
| 2025 season | 5 games, 4 starts, 275 offensive snaps (99% of team snaps), 3 false-start penalties[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm) |
| College highlight | No sacks allowed on 498 pass-blocking snaps in 2024; 86.7 PFF pass-blocking grade, second-best among FBS tackles[3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole) |
## Early life and college career
Pole attended Mt. Eden [High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/high-school) in Hayward but did not play football there; he played basketball instead[3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole). He first played organized football in 2021, his first year at Chabot College, a junior college in northern California[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot). As a sophomore in 2022 he was named to the Region I All-California First Team, was a unanimous All-Bay 6 Conference selection, and was rated a three-star prospect and the ninth-best junior college offensive tackle in the country by ESPN.com[3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole).
He transferred to Washington State before the 2023 season and enrolled in January 2023[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot) • [3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole). As a junior he appeared in nine games with eight starts at left tackle, including a college debut at Colorado State in which the Cougars produced 556 yards of total offense[3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole). As a senior in 2024 he started all 13 games at left tackle, giving him 22 consecutive starts, and according to PFF College he did not allow a sack in 498 pass-blocking snaps while posting the second-best pass-blocking grade by a tackle in the country (86.7)[3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole). He was named to the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List in both seasons[3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole).
## Draft evaluation
Because he had played football for only four seasons, scouts treated Pole as a developmental prospect. [Bleacher Report](https://www.edgepedia.org/bleacher-report)'s scouting report, written by NFL scout Brandon Thorn, graded him 5.7 (backup/draftable, sixth or seventh round), ranked him 271st overall and 20th among offensive tackles, and compared him to Travis Glover[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot). The report credited his size, length, and leg drive as a run blocker and his fluid pass sets, while flagging choppy footwork, a habit of leaning into contact, and an inconsistent anchor[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot). NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein likewise called him a developmental tackle or guard prospect with NFL size who would need refinement on a practice squad[4](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2025/prospects/ot_washington-state).
His pre-draft measurements were listed as 6 ft 5 in and 323 lb, with 33⅝-inch arms, a 9⅞-inch hand span, an 81-inch wingspan, a 5.29-second 40-yard dash, and a 29-inch vertical jump[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot). These figures differ from the 6 ft 7 in, 319 lb listing on NFL rosters[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm). He participated in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl but was not invited to the [NFL Scouting Combine](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-scouting-combine)[5](https://www.si.com/college/washington-state/football/ot-esa-pole-reflects-on-nfl-pro-day-looks-ahead-to-draft-process).
## NFL career
The Kansas City Chiefs signed Pole as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 [NFL draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-draft)[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot). As a rookie in 2025 he played 5 games with 4 starts, taking 275 offensive snaps, 99 percent of the team's total, plus 17 special-teams snaps, and was charged with 3 false-start penalties and no holding calls[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm). The Chiefs released him at the 53-man roster deadline the following August, and he subsequently appeared on the [Washington Commanders](https://www.edgepedia.org/washington-commanders) roster, wearing number 77[6](https://staging-aws.sports.yahoo.com/articles/chiefs-cut-6-foot-7-221724978.html) • [7](https://www.commanders.com/team/players-roster/esa-pole/).
## Personal life
Pole's older brother, Toni, played defensive tackle at Washington State from 2011 to 2014, appearing in 46 games with 75 career tackles, including 10.5 for loss[3](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole).
## References
1. [Esa Pole Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoleEs00.htm)
2. [Esa Pole NFL Draft 2025 Scouting Report for Kansas City Chiefs OT, Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25188882-esa-pole-nfl-draft-2025-scouting-report-kansas-city-chiefs-ot)
3. [Esa Pole, 2024 Football Roster, Washington State University Athletics](https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/season/2024/player/esa-pole)
4. [Washington State 2025 OT Draft Prospects, NFL.com Draft Tracker](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2025/prospects/ot_washington-state)
5. [OT Esa Pole Reflects on NFL Pro Day, Looks Ahead to Draft Process, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/college/washington-state/football/ot-esa-pole-reflects-on-nfl-pro-day-looks-ahead-to-draft-process)
6. [Chiefs Cut 6-Foot-7, 319-Pound OT in 53-Man Roster Deadline 'Stunner', Yahoo Sports](https://staging-aws.sports.yahoo.com/articles/chiefs-cut-6-foot-7-221724978.html)
7. [Esa Pole, Washington Commanders roster](https://www.commanders.com/team/players-roster/esa-pole/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Offensive tackles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license