Jets HC Aaron Glenn reveals plans for second-round clone

When the New York Jets were on the clock with the 44th overall pick, the man they wanted was there for the taking, but they felt they could have their cake and eat it, too.

New York acquired an extra draft pick with a short trade down. When they were up again with the 50th overall pick, New York pulled the trigger, and they brought in a player who was among the most feared cornerbacks in college football: Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds.

“We asked wide receivers that we interviewed, whether it’s combine, all-star games, guys we bring in for visits, we often ask them like, ‘Who’s the best corner you go against?'” Jets general manager Darren Mougey said. “Numerous guys, if they faced Ponds, all of them, Ponds.”

New York’s choice made headlines not only for the addition of a dominant cornerback, but also for Ponds’ uncanny resemblance to their head coach.

Jets’ Day 2 clone

Ponds has drawn comparisons to Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who was a three-time Pro Bowl player as an undersized corner. Ponds, who stands at 5-foot-8, is hoping to mirror Glenn’s success.

Now, as head coach, though, Glenn has made it clear he isn’t expecting Ponds to be anything but himself.

“D’Angelo is his own man, and he’s a guy, again, that we love,” Glenn said. “Love the player; tough, aggressive, comes from a winning program… He’s a damn good player.”

Still, the second-round pick understood the importance of that comparison.

“It’s a testament to his game and my game,” Ponds said. “I think we have some similarities and that’s definitely a compliment to me.”

Players across the country had the utmost respect for Ponds’ game. When Jets’ 16th overall pick, tight end Kenyon Sadiq, was asked which player he hated going up against last season while with the Oregon Ducks, his answer was simple.

Ponds.

Even Ponds’ starting quarterback at Indiana, Fernando Mendoza, understood how difficult a player he was to go against.

“The best corner I’ve played [with] or played against,” Mendoza told ESPN. “He is the top of the totem pole… he gave me a lot of trouble. He picked off a couple of times….Game-changer.”

Much like Glenn, Ponds didn’t let his size get the best of him. He produced at a level in college that was matched by few players around the country. Across three years at Indiana, opponents had a 54.7 passer rating when throwing Ponds’ way.

And in the NFL, if you can play, teams like the Jets will come find you.

A look ahead

Just as he did in his first season at the helm, Glenn isn’t going to guarantee any starting reps for Ponds just because he’s a second-round pick. New York wants to see a competitive athlete earn his playing time.

“It’s going to be a competition, and the guys know that,” Glenn said. “And any time you can create competition within your team, it only makes your team better, especially in practice, because of how that transitions to game play.”

Ponds, to his credit, is ready for that as well.

“I’ve been doubted my whole life. Nobody gave anything to me,” he said. “I’ve been doing it (competing) my whole life.”

New York will throw Ponds into a competition in the slot with Jarvis Brownlee, and on the outside with Nahshon Wright, Azareye’h Thomas, and Brandon Stephens. While the other players have experience and size to their aid, Ponds won’t have either.

But it doesn’t seem like that will stop him.