The New York Jets had one of the more intriguing draft classes across the NFL this year, as they made three selections in the first round when all was said and done. While those guys will obviously draw the most attention from fans, for the front office, they have likely been focused heavily on their second-round pick, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds.
Last year, the majority of the league’s second-round picks went months before signing their rookie contracts due to disputes over the amount of guaranteed money in these deals. As a result, many folks were curious to see if similar issues would arise this year, but New York managed to take the suspense out of this situation by quickly signing Ponds to his rookie contract.
D’Angelo Ponds Signs Four-Year, $9.8 Million Contract
The Jets’ decision to draft Ponds in the second round was met with quite a bit of praise, thanks in large part to just how similar he is to his new head coach, Aaron Glenn, back when he was a player. Ponds is an undersized cornerback, but he has proven that he can go toe-to-toe with whoever he lines up against during his time in college with the Indiana Hoosiers.
Ponds played a big role in helping Indiana win a National Championship in 2025, as he finished the year with 61 tackles, two interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown), 11 pass breakups, and one forced fumble. The 11 pass breakups led all defensive players in the Big Ten, showing that even though teams frequently targeted Ponds, he frequently found a way to make a big play.
With Sauce Gardner no longer in town, New York has had to revamp its cornerback depth chart, and Ponds should immediately be vying for a starting role in 2026. Of course, he had to get his contract situation taken care of before worrying about that, but he ended up putting pen to paper on a four-year, $9.8 million deal with the Jets on Friday morning.
“Jets and second-round pick D’Angelo Ponds reached agreement today on a four-year, $9,836,918 contract that includes $8,946,359 guaranteed, per agents Drew Rosenhaus and Dan Esteban,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in a post on X.
D’Angelo Ponds Could Become an Immediate Contributor for the Jets
GettyFormer Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds trying to make a play during the 2026 NFL Combine.
As part of Ponds’ deal, he also earned $8.9 million in guaranteed money, which highlights a trend that started last year where second-round picks have angled for more guaranteed money on their rookie contracts. New York decided to bite the bullet and give Ponds what he wants, with the hope being that he can turn into an immediate contributor for them.
Given his size, Ponds may be used as more of a slot corner in the early going for the Jets, but he also figures to earn snaps on the outside as well. Ponds’ upside is hard to miss, and now that he is officially under contract with New York, he can continue to put in the work to get himself ready for his season in the pros.
Jets Sign Second-Round Pick D’Angelo Ponds to $9.8 Million Contract