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Former Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds trying to make a play during the 2026 NFL Combine.
The New York Jets landed one of the big steals of the NFL Draft.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic revealed that “everyone” he has spoken with believes that Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds “would’ve been a first-round pick” if it weren’t for his size.
Ponds measured in at the NFL Combine at 5-foot-8 and weighed in at 182 pounds.
“Elite athlete (4.36 40, 43.5-inch vertical), he played mostly on the outside at Indiana despite his size and still thrived, has great ball skills (seven interceptions, 36 pass deflections in three seasons), is an aggressive tackler (ask Ty Simpson), and blocked two punts on special teams,” Rosenblatt posted on social media.
If D’Angelo Ponds wasn’t 5-foot-8 (I realize that’s a big if), everyone I’ve talked to thinks he would’ve been a first-round pick.
Elite athlete (4.36 40, 43.5-inch vertical), he played mostly on the outside at Indiana despite his size and still thrived, has great ball skills
The Jets are receiving plenty of flowers for this selection.
“D’Angelo Ponds is another one of my favorites in this class, joining Terrell and Duke’s Chandler Rivers as a trio of undersized corners who make plays on the ball and play bigger than their frames. Ponds had seven INTs and 27 pass breakups over three college seasons. Might I remind you that the Jets went INT-less in 2025? This was a good get at No. 50,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr wrote.
“D’Angelo Ponds is the player that many execs and scouts LOVED but believed he was too small to take early. Productive draft for Jets continues,” ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler posted.
D’Angelo Ponds is the player that many execs and scouts LOVED but believed he was too small to take early.
Productive draft for Jets continues.
Analyst Steve Palazzolo called Ponds his “favorite prospect in the draft.”
Ponds’ new teammate, Kenyon Sadiq, told the media that D’Angelo “was the best cornerback he played against last year,” per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
Kenyon Sadiq said that D’Angelo Ponds was the best cornerback he played against last year.
Typically, players of Ponds’ size are shoved into a slot/nickel role at the next level. While that is certainly on the bingo card for Ponds, that won’t be his only responsibility with the team.
Head coach Aaron Glenn told the media after day two that Ponds will be playing inside and outside on the Jets’ defense.
Suddenly, it is a very crowded cornerback room in 2026:
The corner pick may have surprised some, but it shouldn’t have. One of the biggest misconceptions about the NFL draft process is what teams are trying to accomplish. The assumption is that the immediate holes on the roster are the things you plug with draft picks.
While there is some sound logic to that thought process, that isn’t exactly how every team thinks. You aren’t drafting rookies to one-year contracts. You are adding them for multiple years, and your thought process must also look down the road.
A luxury today can become a necessity tomorrow.
The majority of the Jets’ cornerback room is either on one-year deals or is about to run out of guaranteed money, which creates an unclear future at the position.
Ponds is now a controllable asset at a cheap cost, with a controlled number for the next four years. He will have a chance to compete from day one to be a starter. Competition breeds success.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, "The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital." Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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