The Jets moved up on Day 1 and then moved down on Day 2, sliding back six spots in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft and selecting Indiana CB D'Angelo Ponds at No. 50 overall.
Gang Green had the No. 44 pick entering Day 2, but swapped that to Detroit for No. 50 and the No. 128 overall pick in Round 4.
A Second-Team AP All-American last season and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, Ponds is a little undersized at 5’8 ½”, but notched 50 tackles, two interceptions, and 10 pass breakups for the national champs.
Ponds moved from James Madison to Indiana with Curt Cignetti prior to the 2024 season and had seven INT and 31 passes defensed in three seasons between the Dukes and Hoosiers.
From NFL.com’s Draft & Scouting Combine Capsule Profile:
Ponds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity. He’s tremendously competitive and winning seems to follow him at each stop. He matches press releases with good slide quickness and has the speed to stay in-phase as routes travel vertically. Eye discipline, instincts and trigger quickness fuel his zone work and catch disruption. Size limitations will likely push him to nickelback, where mismatches against bigger bodies and physical challenges from run games will test his playmaking/durability. Ponds is a likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.
The Jets will bow have four selections remaining on Day 3: Nos. 103, 128, and 140 in Round 4, and Nos. 228 and 242 in Round 7.
