Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds Must Be Securely on Colts' Draft Radar

The Indianapolis Colts can't overlook snagging Indiana Hoosiers lockdown corner, D'Angelo Ponds, in this year's draft.

Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds (5) celebrates after the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

April 23rd through the 25th marks the 2026 NFL Draft from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For the Indianapolis Colts, it will be all about hitting on Day 2 and 3 draft picks.

This is due to the blockbuster trade for former New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, which cost Indy their 2026 and 2027 first-rounders.

However, Indy's 47th (second round) and 78th (third round) picks will be critical for Chris Ballard to nail on the head without hesitation. There are several ways Indy can go. They could use an edge rusher, linebacker, or depth in multiple areas.

For this analyst, a wild card name stands out to further solidify the strength at the cornerback position: Indiana University's D'Angelo Ponds.

Thank you Hoosier nation!! pic.twitter.com/SdOp6P9IiK

— D’Angelo Ponds (@DangeloPondss) January 23, 2026

Ponds can play far bigger than his stature indicates, similar to another Colts cornerback, Kenny Moore II. The only difference is that Ponds played nearly all of his snaps on the outside as a lockdown defender.

As mentioned before, there are certainly other areas on the roster the Colts could use help, perhaps nowhere more than on the defensive edge to help Laiatu Latu. But Ponds might be too great to deny if he falls into the Colts' lap.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive back D'Angelo Ponds (5) reacts after a play against the Miami Hurricanes during the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

Ponds has the talent to go in the first round of the 2026 draft, but if he makes it out of Day 1, the Colts can't possibly ignore a vision of having him join a group of lethal talents.

Here are the cornerbacks currently sitting on the Colts' depth chart. It must be noted that star cornerback Charvarius Ward could retire after suffering three concussions. That's still to be determined.

• Sauce Gardner
• Charvarius Ward
• Kenny Moore II
• Mekhi Blackmon
• Jaylon Jones
• Justin Walley
• Johnathan Edwards
• Chris Lammons
• Cameron Mitchell

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Ponds' statistics from his three years at Indiana and James Madison, and 2025 Pro Football Focus grades fully support the threat he poses as a cornerback.

During his 41 games in college, Ponds put up 169 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, two interception returns for touchdowns, 33 pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries.

As for his elite-level Pro Football Focus numbers in 2025, he was extraordinary with his 778 snaps on the field.

He concluded his National Championship season with an 89.9 overall grade, 86.0 run defense, and 89.5 coverage. In short, Ponds can be a serious game-changer if he hits the ground running for an NFL defense.

Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds is so damn good

No need to mention the size. You can’t put a collar on that DAWG.

pic.twitter.com/0avQPrflmg

— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) January 20, 2026

If Gardner can stay healthy, Ward returns to action, Moore doesn't experience a decline, Justin Walley can bounce back after an ACL tear, and the rest of the corners can provide solid depth; then the addition of Ponds could make this a deadly group for Indy.

There's a good shot that a more cornerback-needy team takes a swing on Ponds toward the end of round one, but Indianapolis should have their eyes glued to the screen if he doesn't get picked.

Indy can always add more edge rushing help in other rounds or through free agency. There's also a possibility they re-sign Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, or Tyquan Lewis to avoid having too much of a hole at the position.

We'll see how things pan out for Indy during rounds two and three of the draft - but one thing's for sure, it would be poetry to bring Ponds to the Circle City after he blew away offenses en route to Indiana football's first National Championship.

Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds (Rd 2):

+ Tremendous route recognition
+ Hip fluidity
+ Competitive edge at the catch point
+ Not afraid of contact
+ Sticky in man coverage
+ Foot speed in backpedal
+ 7 INT, 33 PBU in 3 years
- Undersized
- Limited catch radius pic.twitter.com/Nu2l2LqRCF

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) January 21, 2026