Why Jets love 2026 second-round pick D'Angelo Ponds: 'The traits speak for itself'
After trading back in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets added another intriguing piece to their secondary, selecting cornerback D’Angelo Ponds out of Indiana. Ponds was viewed by many as a potential top-20 talent, but his 5-foot-8 frame ended up scaring many teams off. That size and his physical play has led to the 22-year-old being comped to Aaron Glenn , so it doesn’t come as a surprise that Gang Green was the team to give him a chance.
“He’s a guy we love, the traits speak for itself,” Glenn said. “The physical stuff -- he overcomes his height, he’s tough, aggressive, and comes from a winning program which is constant with what we’re trying to do -- he’s a damn good player. ” Ponds’ peers certainly appear to agree with those sentiments.
GM Darren Mougey said they asked receivers throughout the pre-draft process who the best corner they faced was, and almost all who went against Ponds responded with him. “He’s been a productive player despite the size limitations,” the GM said. “He finds ways to get stops, is good in coverage, and is one of the top tacklers in the entire draft regardless of position -- just a really good player.
” Gang Green plans to work Ponds both in the slot and outside, which is something he did throughout his college career. Though their cornerback room is suddenly a bit crowded, Glenn thinks the competition will be a good thing. “The guys know that,” he said.
“Any time you can create competition, it only makes your team better, especially in practice because that transitions to games -- when you can have competition on a daily basis you see the play tick up. ”