D'Angelo Ponds wasn't familiar with Aaron Glenn's game before getting picked by Jets

When the New York Jets selected D'Angelo Ponds with the 50th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, analysts were quick to point to the similarities between him and his new head coach, Aaron Glenn.

Ponds is a highly touted cornerback prospect, standing at 5-foot-9, and came into the league touting a nose for the football and a reputation for sticky coverage. Jets fans who were around for the 1994 NFL Draft may recall hearing a similar profile for their first-round draft pick way back when.

The Jets selected Glenn with the 12th overall pick in the 1994 draft. A 5-foot-9 cornerback out of Texas A&M, the All-American had nine interceptions under his belt in 23 games played. Sound just a little familiar?

Well, when Ponds was preparing throughout the pre-draft process, he was unaware of the blueprint that lay before him, but it's safe to say he's familiar with the player his head coach once was as one of the newest members of the Jets.

D'Angelo Ponds hadn't heard Aaron Glenn comparisons before 2026 NFL Draft

In an exclusive interview with The Jet Press, Ponds revealed that he hadn't really heard of Glenn until a reporter mentioned the current Jets head coach's name to him during a pre-draft workout.

"I was training for the combine and (a reporter) asked me, 'Have you heard of Aaron Glenn?' and I hadn't really heard of Aaron Glenn, I gotta do my research on him."

Ironically enough, just a few months later, Ponds would end up donning the Green & White, the same way Glenn did almost 30 years earlier. It's almost like it was meant to be, considering there's no better mentor for the smaller-sized defensive back than Glenn.

"I've been learning a lot from him. Obviously, a guy who did it at a high level, and like you said, same size as me, so it's a lot of little things that I can pick up on and he's on me about everything, and just making sure I'm honing in on the little details."

As a rookie, Ponds isn't expected to do any of the heavy lifting in the Jets' secondary quite yet. After missing a large chunk of time over the summer with a calf injury, he's still working his way into a larger role on defense and has plenty of time to do so.

Luckily, he has someone in his corner who has been through the same exact thing as an undersized defensive back in New York, and there's no better coach to continue his development than Glenn.

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