D'Angelo Ponds Has Sudden Chance to Erase Jets' Concerns in Week 10

The pressure is on.

Oct 25, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback D'Angelo Ponds (23) defends. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets believe it's time to turn the starting nickel job over to their second-round rookie.

But if D'Angelo Ponds is going to take the next step in his development for his coach and team, merely getting starting reps will not be enough. New York's intended starter, Jarvis Brownlee, is dealing with an illness. If Ponds is to keep his job once Brownlee is back healthy, he'll need to produce.

The good news for New York is that a strong performance against the Buffalo Bills could give Ponds the confidence needed to begin to excel like many other players in the 2026 draft class.

Jets hoping to see more of Ponds

Through the first two starts of his NFL career, Ponds has been a quality starter for New York. While Pro Football Focus has graded his outlook at a struggling 27.2, his coverage grades are far from that of a struggling player. He simply hasn't had enough snaps to see how good he can be.

In last week's loss to Kansas City, Ponds was targeted once, and gave up a reception for seven yards. He was also penalized for a second time this season that gave the Chiefs a first down. In his last start against the Miami Dolphins, though, Ponds was targeted three times, gave up one reception, and was called for a penalty that gave the opposition a first and goal.

The penalties are obviously a program, but these numbers are far from alarming example of Ponds being unable to perform. If anything, they highlight the fact he needs more reps to get comfortable on an NFL field.

"We can only play so many people. You see that across the league a number of hot picks... [Fernando] Mendoza hasn't played at all. We have some other good players on the team. He's going to get his shot. He's a damn good player. We all know that. Just be patient, and give him a little time. He's going to get a shot to play," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said.

We have finally reached that part of the season with Ponds getting consistent playing time.

But context is also important. This is a rookie cornerback playing a new position (Ponds was used in the boundary during his college career), and didn't have a training camp to get acclimated. The bright spots shown on the field so far is what New York should be hoping to see.

He may not have broken out like Omar Cooper Jr. or David Bailey have, but Ponds seems on his way to being a productive member of the organization. He just needs the grace and time to be able to reach that mark.

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