Leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, newyorkjets.com will examine some of this year's "Perfect Fits" for the Green & White, according to draft analysts on "the Now Boarding" draft show.
NBC's Connor Rogers' choice: Indiana CB D'Angelo Ponds
The Player
D'Angelo Ponds was one of his conference's most productive players in the Sun Belt and the Big Ten despite his size (5-8, 182). Ponds, a freshman All-American, followed head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana where Ponds became a two-time All-American and a national champion.
He led his team in pass defenses each of his three years in college (39 PDs and 7 INT in 41 games) and accounted for 4 touchdowns -- 2 interception returns and 2 blocked punt returns.
"He's sub-6-feet '0" tall, he plays on the outside, he takes away the football," Rogers said. "He will absolutely knock you on your butt. He doesn't care how big you are or how small he is. He's so smart, so well prepared, passed the adversity test. He transferred up from JMU and plays on an Indiana team where his coach, who people respect for the right reasons, said he was the guy on the team."
Ponds, who was flagged once in the 2025 season, ran a blazing 4.36 40-yard dash at his Pro Day in Bloomington, IN.
"That fiery, intense personality, he's the guy in this class whose playstyle resembles Aaron Glenn's the most," Rogers said. "I think Aaron Glenn would see that on tape."
The Background
Ponds grew up in the Miami area and started his high school football career on offense before switching to cornerback once he was called up to varsity later his freshman year. He then transferred from McArthur High School to Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory, which has produced NFL players like All-Pro LB Jon Beason and current Eagles WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. Ponds became teammates with a pair of current highly touted Ohio State players in WR Jeremiah Smith and DL Kenyatta Jackson.
In addition to helping Chaminade to a state championship as a senior, he was also an all-state athlete on the track team and won the state championship in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as a senior.
Ponds, because of his size, received his first offer in May of his senior year from Florida Atlantic. He committed to JMU over Syracuse, which was his only then-Power 5 offer. Ponds had planned to stay with the Dukes after Cignetti took the Indiana job but received offers from more than two-dozen FBS schools (e.g., Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Tennessee and USC) and decided to follow Cignetti to Bloomington.
The Fit
General manager Darren Mougey has typically added bigger corners in his 15 months with the team in Brandon Stephens (6-1, 215), Azareye'h Thomas (6-1, 197) and Nahshon Wright (6-4, 190), but the team doesn't have many homegrown corners. Thomas and Qwan'tez Stiggers are the only corners on the roster drafted by the Jets.
Adding Ponds to this group would provide depth at a position where there will likely be competition for a starting spot opposite Stephens throughout the summer.
"When you look at [Ponds'] body type, it might not be typically where the Jets go," Rogers said. "But you look at the personality and the tape, I would love to see that kind of fit in green and white."
