D'Angelo Ponds
Career Summary
New York Jets rookie cornerback and 2026 second-round selection.
D'Angelo Ponds is a Miami native who joined the New York Jets following college stops at James Madison and Indiana. The Jets selected him with the 50th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Early Life
Miami, Florida native.
Ponds is from Miami, Florida, and attended Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School.
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High School
Chaminade-Madonna alumnus.
Ponds attended Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Florida before beginning his college football career.
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College Career
Three-year defensive back career at James Madison and Indiana.
Ponds appeared in 41 college games with 37 starts. After one season at James Madison, he transferred to Indiana and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 and 2025.
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Path to the NFL
Second-round selection after helping Indiana to a national title.
The Jets selected Ponds 50th overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. New York cited his role on Indiana's unbeaten national-championship team.
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NFL Career
Began his NFL career with the New York Jets in 2026.
Ponds signed his rookie contract with the Jets in May 2026 after joining the club as its No. 50 overall draft selection. The team assigned him jersey No. 23.
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Career Accomplishments
Two-time first-team All-Big Ten defensive back.
Ponds earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition in 2024 and 2025. His college awards also included Freshman All-America honors in 2023 and multiple second-team All-America recognitions in 2024.
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Playing Style
Competitive cornerback with playmaking production.
The Jets described Ponds as a smaller-framed cornerback who made major plays for Indiana. His college record includes coverage production, interceptions, pass breakups, and special-teams touchdown contributions.
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32017, 00-0041038, 1/13/2005, D'Angelo Ponds, D'Angelo, Ponds
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 0.0
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.