What to Expect from D'Angelo Ponds in First Game Action on Sunday

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Not even a full calendar year ago, D'Angelo Ponds was a key cog in a national championship team at Indiana.

Now, the second-round corner of the New York Jets is about to suit up for his first NFL game.

"He can go out there and compete at a high-level," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "Our trainers have done an outstanding job of getting him ready to go, and he's been in the meetings, so he's understanding exactly what we're doing."

Ponds missed all of training camp with a calf injury and only just started practicing with the team over the last few weeks. He now joins a much different secondary than originally thought. Coming off a dominant 23-10 win over the Tennessee Titans to open the year, New York's secondary looked competent throughout the game. Jarvis Brownlee, the team's starting nickel corner, was the fifth-best player at his position in Week 1 by Pro Football Focus.

AZ Thomas finished 15th among active corners, while Brandon Stephens was given an above-average grade of 65.5.

With New York's starting trio evidently set, what role will Ponds serve in Week 2 against the Packers?

Ponds' role and Jets defensive outlook

Just because Ponds will be able to play on Sunday doesn't mean his role is secure going into Week 2. New York has been clear that the second-round rookie has done a good job in the classroom to stay active, but will still need time to get up to NFL game speed.

There is also the matter of the role in which the Jets see out of Ponds.

As a 5-foot-9 corner, he was originally expected to compete with Brownlee in the nickel. His injury, though, has essentially given the job to Brownlee moving forward. On the outside, while Ponds has shown an ability to cover receivers much bigger than him, the size of college receivers compared to the NFL is far different. Stephens and Thomas are both better fits on the boundary for that reality.

So where is Ponds going to play?

New York will be playing multiple teams over the next few weeks that like using four wide receivers on the field. That situation could be the way for Ponds to get on the field over the next few weeks as part of New York's dime package. Injuries could also play a factor.

But in the end, the Jets are aware that if Ponds is going to see the field, it may only be in small increments.

"The mental side of it was, obviously, we're trying to stay on him while he's not getting the
physical reps; you just stay on him with that, and he's been really good with that," defensive coordinator Brian Duker said. "I feel very good where he is mentally."

New York fans should keep their expectations fair for Ponds. He is someone the team really likes, but it will take time to get more playing time. In a few months, he could very well earn a starting job. Until then, it will be a learning curve for the national champion.

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