Indiana University Athletics
Ponds Ready to Ground Wideouts with Jets
4/24/2026 9:00:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH – A third Hoosier is off the board, as D'Angelo Ponds was selected in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The New York Jets selected their second-straight Indiana standout with the 50th overall selection, after taking Omar Cooper with the No. 30 pick on night one of the draft.
With his selection in the second round, Indiana has three picks in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft for the first time in program history. IU has three-or-more picks in the same draft for the 26th time in program history and the first since 2016 when Jason Spriggs (2nd; T, Green Bay), Jordan Howard (5th; RB, Chicago) and Nate Sudfeld (6th; QB, Washington).
Ponds is the highest-drafted Indiana cornerback since Tracy Porter went with the 40th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Ray Fisher was the last IU cornerback picked in the draft when he was a seventh-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2010.
This is the fourth time in the common draft era that the same team has picked Hoosiers in the same draft: New York Jets (2026), San Francisco 49ers (2025), New York Giants (1988), Chicago Bears (1981).
2026 NFL Draft Selections
1.1 – Fernando Mendoza, QB – Las Vegas Raiders
1.30 – Omar Cooper Jr., WR – New York Jets
2.50 – D'Angelo Ponds, CB – New York Jets
He appeared in 41 career games with 37 starts – 28 appearances with 27 starts as a Hoosier – and earned All-America honors in each of his two seasons in Bloomington. A second-team selection in 2024, Ponds earned just the second-ever first-team All-America honor for a cornerback at IU (Tiawan Mullen, 2020). He also garnered Freshman All-America laurels as a true freshman at James Madison.
Ponds was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2024 and 2025 with 118 tackles (80 solo), 20 pass breakups and five interceptions. He was the second-highest graded cornerback over the past two seasons (min. 800 snaps) in the Power 4 at 91.5 per Pro Football Focus and forced 21 incompletions.
With his selection in the second round, Indiana has three picks in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft for the first time in program history. IU has three-or-more picks in the same draft for the 26th time in program history and the first since 2016 when Jason Spriggs (2nd; T, Green Bay), Jordan Howard (5th; RB, Chicago) and Nate Sudfeld (6th; QB, Washington).
Ponds is the highest-drafted Indiana cornerback since Tracy Porter went with the 40th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Ray Fisher was the last IU cornerback picked in the draft when he was a seventh-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2010.
This is the fourth time in the common draft era that the same team has picked Hoosiers in the same draft: New York Jets (2026), San Francisco 49ers (2025), New York Giants (1988), Chicago Bears (1981).
2026 NFL Draft Selections
1.1 – Fernando Mendoza, QB – Las Vegas Raiders
1.30 – Omar Cooper Jr., WR – New York Jets
2.50 – D'Angelo Ponds, CB – New York Jets
He appeared in 41 career games with 37 starts – 28 appearances with 27 starts as a Hoosier – and earned All-America honors in each of his two seasons in Bloomington. A second-team selection in 2024, Ponds earned just the second-ever first-team All-America honor for a cornerback at IU (Tiawan Mullen, 2020). He also garnered Freshman All-America laurels as a true freshman at James Madison.
Ponds was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2024 and 2025 with 118 tackles (80 solo), 20 pass breakups and five interceptions. He was the second-highest graded cornerback over the past two seasons (min. 800 snaps) in the Power 4 at 91.5 per Pro Football Focus and forced 21 incompletions.
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