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1:38Jets Continue To Strengthen Secondary with D'Angelo Ponds Pick
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0:492026 NFL Draft Grades: Jets Select D'Angelo Ponds No. 50
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11:24Breaking Down Josh Edwards' Day 2 NFL Mock Draft
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1:57D'Angelo Ponds: A Top Available Corner in the 2026 Draft
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1:14D'Angelo Ponds: An Under-The-Radar 2026 1st Rounder
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0:59What Makes D'Angelo Ponds A First-Round Pick
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0:48Emory's Ultimate Pick Six For 2026 NFL Draft: No. 3 CB D'Angelo Ponds (Indiana)
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0:572026 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: CB D'Angelo Ponds
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4:48D'Angelo Ponds on being the underdog, says Fernando Mendoza NEVER gets flustered
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0:472026 NFL Draft Grades: 49ers Select Kaelon Black No. 90
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0:402026 NFL Draft Grades: Colts Select A.J. Haulcy No. 78
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0:462026 NFL Draft Grades: Colts Select CJ Allen No. 53
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1:02What's The Pressure Surrounding QB Fernando Mendoza Going #1 Overall?
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1:33Cardinals Select Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love No. 3 Overall
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1:36Biggest Takeaways From Day 1 Of 2026 NFL Draft
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1:58Jets Trade Back Into First Round, Select Omar Cooper Jr.
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0:482026 NFL Draft Grades: Jets Select Omar Cooper Jr. No. 30
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0:412026 NFL Draft Grades: Raiders Select Fernando Mendoza No. 1
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1:45Can Fernando Mendoza Change the Raiders' Fortunes?
Draft Scouting Report
Pro Comparison: Aaron Glenn
Summary
There are going to be situations where there truly isn’t anything a 5-foot-8, 180-pound cornerback can do to prevent a catch in the NFL. In all other situations, I’ll bet on Ponds to make a play. He’s a special competitor who struggled with one receiver his entire collegiate career: Jeremiah Smith. If that’s really the only receiver who could give him problems, chances are Ponds’ game will translate.
About
- 2025: Defensive MVP of CFP Rose Bowl and CFP Peach Bowl
- 2023-25: Tied for fourth in FBS in non-offensive TD (2 INT return TD, 2 blocked punt return TD)
Strengths
- Doesn’t back down from a fight; consistently held his own vs. bigger receivers.
- Easy makeup speed; no fear of getting beaten deep on tape.
- Flat-foot breaks are special; trusts what he sees and gets his hands on footballs.
Weaknesses
- Fighting an uphill battle at his size; giving up height and weight to almost everyone.
- Many will see him as a slot, but he played exclusively outside in college.
- Quick to commit in zone coverage and will widen windows.
Combine Data
- Vertical jump: 43.5 inches
Top D'Angelo Ponds News
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Jets' D'Angelo Ponds: Picked by Jets
The Jets selected Ponds in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 50th overall.
Ponds wasn't heavily recruited out of high school due to his 5-foot-8 size, and that might be an issue for him at the NFL level. However, he didn't let that lack of size get in the way of a successful three-year college career that culminated in a National College Championship victory in 2025 with Indiana. During that season, Ponds was selected to both the All-American Second-Team and All-Big Ten First-Team after logging 61 tackles, one forced fumble and 12 pass defenses (two interceptions) across 15 games. The Jets needed to address the outside cornerback position after trading Sauce Gardner (calf) to the Colts in November, and Ponds will compete for a starting job against the likes of Azareye'h Thomas (shoulder) and Qwan'tez Stiggers (knee).
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 5-9, 182 lbs |
| Birthplace: Miami, FL |
| Class: Junior |