D'Angelo Ponds is going to have to earn his way into the Jets' starting lineup

When the New York Jets selected Indiana defensive back D'Angelo Ponds with the 50th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, fans thought they were getting an immediate starter with high upside. Despite his smaller stature, he was envisioned as the team's Week 1 nickel cornerback.

Unfortunately, a calf injury derailed most of those plans. Ponds was sidelined for the entirety of training camp and preseason, and only returned to practice at the start of the regular season. He was held out for the season opener, was a healthy scratch in Week 2, and made his debut in Week 3.

"Debut" is a bit of a stretch. Ponds only played four total snaps, two on defense and two on special teams. Clearly, the former Hoosier standout is still getting the mental reps he needs before he can be trusted with a full-time role on Aaron Glenn's defense.

But it seems like it's going to take some time for Ponds to become a mainstay in the Jets' secondary. He needs to earn it, as his counterpart, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., did for New York throughout the summer and into the regular season.

Aaron Glenn says D'Angelo Ponds needs to 'earn' his role in role in New York Jets defense

Glenn was asked this past week about Ponds' slow integration into the Jets' defense, and his answer was rather revealing about how the team is internally operating in terms of who deserves playing time.

"When it comes to playing time, I'm always saying you have to earn that. Nothing is given to any player on this team. So you have players playing now that's fighting to continue to play. And he's (Ponds) doing a good job for us. And each week I think he's getting better and better and understanding exactly what we're doing."

Obviously, when Glenn refers to players "fighting to continue to play," he's referring to the team's current starting nickel cornerback, Brownlee.

Since Ponds was an absentee for most of the summer, it provided the former Tennessee Titans draft pick the opportunity he needed to put a stranglehold on the starting job. Through three games of the regular season, he's earned the right to stay on the field.

According to Pro Football Focus, Brownlee has been their 10th-highest-graded cornerback, standing out for his great work in both coverage and run defense.

As long as he keeps playing like that, it will be hard for the defensive coaching staff to justify taking him off the field in favor of Ponds. Until the young rookie proves he's ready for the big stage, it will be the Brownlee show, and for good reason.

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