D’Angelo Ponds 2026 NFL Draft Profile

The reigning NCAA Champions will surely have many players drafted to NFL teams in April’s big event. Obviously, the talk of the town is their quarterback and presumptive first overall selection, Fernando Mendoza. However, on the other side of the ball, there was perhaps no player more important than cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. On the LWOS Big Board, he is currently the 59th overall player and the CB8.

D’Angelo Ponds 2026 NFL Draft Profile

Measurables*

Height: 5’9″

Weight: 173

*Unofficial

Player Background

D’Angelo Ponds was a three-star recruit out of Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School, located in Hollywood, FA. His college career began at James Madison University, where he immediately burst onto the scene as a true freshman. In 2023, he had 2 interceptions and 10 pass breakups. Subsequently, he was named to the Second Team All-Sun Belt. Despite this success, his tenure as a Duke didn’t last any longer as he followed his coach, Curt Cignetti, to Indiana.

This proved to be a great decision for Ponds, as his acclimation to Cignetti’s system helped both of them. In his debut season as a Hoosier, Ponds put forward another good season with 3 interceptions and 7 pass break-ups. Following this, he was named First Team All-Big 10 as well as Second Team All-America by various media companies. Finally, 2025 was a huge season for both Ponds and Indiana. Ponds posted 2 more interceptions, 9 more pass break-ups, and a forced fumble in Indiana’s 16-game run to a National Title (he actually only played in 15 of those games). Along with the statistics, Ponds racked up multiple accolades. During the season, he was the Defensive MVP for both the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl. Following the season, he was named once again to the First Team All-Big 10 and received various All-America honors.

Strengths

• Willingness and ability to wrap up despite his size is remarkable
• Diagnoses plays close to the line of scrimmage very well
• Shutdown production throughout college career
• Very smart player, knows Indiana’s exotic zone scheme to a tee
• Breaks on routes with speed and precision (SEE: Pick 6 vs Oregon in CFP)
• Special teams prowess (2 blocked punts in college)

Weaknesses

• Will be tough to transition into an outside CB in the NFL, given his size; his home might have to be in the nickel
• Has very little experience at the nickel
• Tackling in the NFL will be a new challenge

Player Comparison: Shorter Devon Witherspoon

Projected Draft Capital: Late Day 2/Early Day 3

Team Fits: Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers

Last Word on D’Angelo Ponds in the 2026 NFL Draft

D’Angelo Ponds, despite being severely undersized, is a player worth taking a gamble on in this draft. His scrappiness knows no bounds, as he’s constantly seeking contact in both coverage and the run game. He’s also a ridiculously smart player, given the defense that he succeeded so greatly in and his ability to make up for his size. This will be very difficult to replicate in the NFL, though. Thus, a move inside would probably be the best fit for his skill set. The caveat there though, is that he has very little experience at the position. This could prove to be a difficult transition at first, but if anyone can do it, Ponds and his football IQ can. Any team looking for a nickel corner or a spark-plug on defense should have Ponds on their radar. His journey will be a very fun one to follow come April and beyond.