Jets add D’Angelo Ponds After Trade Down From 44 to 50

In need of a starting cornerback following the departure of All-Pro Sauce Gardner last season, Jets GM Darren Mougey has used the 50th pick in the draft to select, oddly enough, a clone of Aaron Glenn in Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds.

Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds (Rd 2):

+ Tremendous route recognition
+ Hip fluidity
+ Competitive edge at the catch point
+ Not afraid of contact
+ Sticky in man coverage
+ Foot speed in backpedal
+ 7 INT, 33 PBU in 3 years
– Undersized
– Limited catch radius pic.twitter.com/Nu2l2LqRCF

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) January 21, 2026

The Jets were due to pick at 44 but moved down in a swap with the Detroit Lions, adding another fourth-round pick (118th overall) to move down to pick number fifty for the feisty national champion.

In Ponds, the Jets get a tough, ultra-athletic corner who, had he been a couple of inches taller, would have certainly been a first-round choice. But as he checks in at 5′ 8 34/” inches, he fell to pick number fifty. If you’re Ponds, you’ve got to like the fact that you’ll be playing for a head coach who played the same spot at 5′ 9” and dominated.

Over the course of his college career, he racked up an impressive 33 passes broken up to go along with two interceptions.

Some PFF tidbits on new @nyjets CB D’Angelo Ponds (among draft eligible corners):

– 89.9 coverage grade (4th in country)
– Allowed just 50% comp pct
– Tackling grade of 85.3 (10th)
– 54 tackles (5th)
– Zero TD’s allowed

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) April 25, 2026