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D'Angelo Ponds #5 of the Indiana Hoosiers and Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrate their MVP wins.

The New York Jets have done wonders for themselves so far throughout the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.

They added a surefire threat off the edge at No. 2 overall with Texas Tech’s David Bailey, hopefully rejuvenating the Jets’ poor pass rush.

Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. were must-have additions to New York’s array of pass catchers, a skill group that desperately needed an injection of talent.

And in the second round, the Jets were able to add another difference-maker to the mix with Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds at No. 50 overall.

Ponds may be on the smaller side for his position, but it doesn’t change the fact that he has the ultimate respect from all of his Hoosier teammates, including No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

Fernando Mendoza Showers D’Angelo Ponds With Praise

Shortly after the New York Jets made their pick, Mendoza told ESPN that Ponds is the best cornerback he’s ever been around, bar none.

“The best corner I’ve played or played against. He is the top of the totem pole,” the newest member of the Las Vegas Raiders said.

“He gave me a lot of trouble. He picked off a couple of times…Gamechanger.”

It’s high praise from one Hoosier to another, and something Ponds will hopefully live up to throughout his tenure in New York.

One thing is for sure: the 5-foot-9 cornerback was one of the best in college football over the last few seasons.

Ponds started his college football career at James Madison University before following head coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

In 2024, the former Duke adapted well to Big Ten play, intercepting three passes and recording 9 pass breakups.

But this past season is where he took things to another level. Ponds was Pro Football Focus’s eighth-best cornerback in college football in 2025 out of 897 players.

He helped lead Indiana to the national championship with iconic moments along the way, including returning an interception for a touchdown against Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in the Peach Bowl and earning defensive MVP honors in both the Peach and Rose Bowl.

The Jets have themselves a talented corner on their hands, and we’ll see if he can live up to Mendoza’s praise.

State of the Jets Cornerback Room

Ponds landed in the right spot if he wishes to play right away, because the New York Jets have several solid cornerbacks with no clear starters.

Outside of Brandon Stephens, who provided steady play for the Jets’ secondary last season, the other starting spot remains wide open.

The Jets added former Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright in free agency on a one-year, $5.5 million deal, but he isn’t guaranteed to be the Week 1 starter.

2025 third-round pick Azareye’h Thomas showed flashes at times last season, but suffered a fairly serious shoulder injury late in the year. He may need to ease himself back in over the summer.

That leaves Ponds a golden opportunity in training camp to earn the starting gig, and if he’s anything like what Mendoza has billed him to be, he’ll have no problem beating out Wright and Thomas.