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You have to wonder if one of the reasons the Jets traded out of spot 44 was because the Miami Dolphins picked Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriquez at 43.
Rodriquez would have been perfect for the Jets – an instinctive linebacker who is very good in coverage, a big need.
And then, with the Jets sitting at 50, the Carolina Panthers traded into the 49th slot to pick Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter. Was this another move to beat the Jets to the punch for a player?
We might never find out, but two things to consider.
But if the Jets were beaten to the punch for Rodriguez and Hunter, they certainly rebounded well, selecting Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds at 50.
Some have argued that if Ponds wasn’t under 5-9, he could have gone in the first round.
He probably won’t be able to stay outside on the NFL level, but could be an outstanding nickel back on the NFL level.
Aside from his excellent cover skills and change-of-direction ability, something else that makes him an outstanding nickel candidate on the NFL level is his tackling ability. Playing slot cornerback, so close to the defensive line, creates a lot of run defense responsibilities, and he’s up to the challenge.
Like Fernando Mendoza and Omar Cooper, Ponds is another player whose development was certainly helped by playing under coach Curt Cignetti, a great program builder and player development coach.
And Ponds had him at two schools – first James Madison and then Indiana.
Ponds was an under-the-radar recruit out of South Florida who was recruited by mainly Sun Belt Conference schools.
And being overlooked coming out, and also being a little over 5-8, and having people constantly doubting, he plays with a major chip on his shoulder.
But keep in mind, he’s not a small corner. He is a shorter corner, but not a small corner, at a thickly built 182 pounds.
I know a lot of people are making an Aaron Glenn comp with Ponds, but I actually see more of a comp to Glenn’s teammate Ray Mickens, a very good nickel back for the Jets from 1996-2004.
And it was smart for the Jets to add another nickel back in this draft because while Jarvis Brownlee flashed a little at nickel last year, he’s had a hard time staying healthy in the NFL, first with the Tennessee Titans, and then with the Jets.
Perhaps one reason Brownlee gets dinged a lot is his playing style – he’s a 5-10, 193-pound corner who throws his body around in run support like an inside linebacker. In the Jets’ loss to Baltimore last year, he stopped 252-pound running back Derrick Henry for no gain on back-to-back plays in the red zone.
Very impressive, but a tough approach for a player of his size from a durability standpoint.
So, having Brownlee and Ponds at nickel, they will have much-needed depth at slot corner.
And to be fair to Brownlee, in general, there are a lot of injuries to nickel backs consistently around the league due to the nature of the job – smaller guys who have to do a lot of tackling.
Remember, the Jets’ nickel back before Brownlee was Michael Carter, who had myriad injuries in his last two years with the Jets, before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles during last season.
Hard to argue with the Jets second round pick.
Like they say, you can never have enough corners, and this guy played on a high level for the national champion Hoosiers this past season.
With the selection of Ponds, the Jets added four players in the first two rounds: DE David Bailey, TE Kenyon Sadiq, WR Omar Cooper, and Ponds, who were all week-in, week-out producers this past year.
The theme seems to be – “production over potential” – which is the best approach in the first two rounds. You should not take flyers on projects in the first two rounds. Do that later in the draft.
April 24, 2026
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