2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: D’Angelo Ponds (CB – Indiana)

FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in February. Here’s a look at Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds.

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: D’Angelo Ponds

D’Angelo Ponds (CB – Indiana)

5-foot-9 | 170 Pounds

Background

D’Angelo Ponds originally attended James Madison, where he started 10 out of 13 games as a freshman, finishing with 51 tackles, 13 breakups and two interceptions.

Ponds then transferred to Indiana, where he recorded 57 tackles, nine breakups and three interceptions, including one for a touchdown. This past season, he totaled 61 tackles, 11 breakups and two interceptions, with another pick-six.

Positives

Highly productive three-year starter for two different programs. Lines up on the outside (typically on the short side), playing a lot of bail technique out of press looks, but will also play some shuffle technique. The team trusted him enough to leave him on islands against premier receivers, even those with bigger frames.

Ponds has very quick feet and can match releases at the line of scrimmage from press. Scrappy, pesky player who likes to get physical with opponents at the line and through the route. Uses his hands well to feel routes developing from press looks. Overall speed is good enough to carry most receivers down the field.

Twitchy with excellent reflexes and loose hips. Makes very clean transitions from shuffling to driving on a spot, with impressive acceleration. Does a good job of locating the ball, and shows impressive ball skills and technique to go for the breakup or interception.

Surprisingly physical player who looks energetic in run support. Gets what extension he can to keep opponents out of his frame, attacks blockers with aggression and actively hunts for lanes to the ball-carrier, with good short-area quickness and flexibility to slip around blockers. Has been a highly reliable tackler throughout his collegiate career.

Negatives

Size is on the borderline of what’s acceptable at the pro level, even in the slot, and he has almost no slot experience. When he sits on short routes and guesses wrong, he doesn’t have the superior recovery speed to get back in-phase. Lack of ideal length prevents him from making some plays on the ball, even when he does everything else right on the snap.

Ponds only committed one penalty this past season, but got flagged seven times in 2024. Can be overwhelmed on contact by stronger opponents, struggling to maintain his position. Gets the job done as a tackler, but doesn’t have the most stopping power to limit yards after contact.

Summary

A small, feisty cornerback who has an excellent combination of competitiveness, quickness, twitchiness, agility and physicality, which allowed Ponds to provide very tight coverage against different types of receivers throughout his collegiate career.

If Ponds were two or three inches taller, we’d be talking about one of the top cornerbacks in the class. As it currently stands, he will probably be projected by many teams as a slot conversion candidate, a position he hasn’t really played in school. Still, it’s easy to love him, and he will likely come off the board on Day 2.

Projection: Round 2/Round 3