Jarvis Brownlee Jr.'s play shouldn't keep Jets from involving D'Angelo Ponds

The New York Jets fell to 1-2 after a 31-24 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 3. This was a game where New York could come away with some positives, but they still need to improve on the margins to get a win.

The Jets leaned on Jarvis Brownlee Jr. again in the slot, where he's been solid through three games. New York's staff feels comfortable having him out there, but going forward, New York needs to find a way to get D'Angelo Ponds involved in the game.

D'Angelo Ponds will need a bigger role despite Jarvis Brownlee's strong play

In this outing, Ponds made his debut after missing several weeks with a calf injury. Considering the amount of time he's been sidelined, it makes sense that the Jets didn't play him much. In fact, Ponds tallied two snaps against Detroit as a dime back in red zone situations.

Throwing him in a large role against an offense like the Lions' wouldn't have been a wise decision. In addition, Brownlee Jr. has given the Jets a sound slot defender. His physicality is one of his biggest strengths, as he's a willing defender and tackler against the run.

Meanwhile, in coverage, Brownlee Jr. has allowed seven catches (13 targets) for 42 yards. He's also given up touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, which isn't ideal.

According to Pro Football Focus, Brownlee Jr. is the ninth-ranked cornerback in coverage grade (76.5) after Week 3. While these grades aren't the be-all and end-all, it's a metric that can give fans more insight into how a player is producing.

With the Chicago Bears next up and quarterback Caleb Williams expected to be inactive, they will certainly lean on the ground attack. The Jets are going to need Brownlee's tenacity against the run in that game, but there's no question that New York could use Ponds' playmaking ability in the secondary.

Of course, expectations need to be tempered, but as Kenyon Sadiq and, at times, David Bailey have already shown in 2026, just because you're a rookie doesn't mean you can't make an impact fairly quickly.

Azareye'h Thomas and Brandon Stephens have been sound on the outside, so Ponds' pathway to getting more playing time will come in the slot. Coming into the NFL, some of his strengths were his eye discipline in coverage, with great change of direction to stay in phase. And Ponds will stick his nose as a tackler in the run game as well.

The Indiana product tracks the ball well in the air and can come away with some interceptions. Over 41 collegiate games, he finished with 10.5 TFLs, 33 pass deflections, and seven interceptions.

We all know the NFL is a different beast, but the traits are there for Ponds. For a Jets team that has now gone 20 games without an interception, adding Ponds to the mix can help them snap that streak. He will also give them an athletic defender in the secondary with good coverage and ball skills.

He would likely have to eat into Brownlee Jr.'s snaps to get on the field, but that may have to be something that Glenn looks to do sooner rather than later. New York didn't use the 50th overall pick on him for no reason, and it's up to Glenn to find a way to get him some action.

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