Aaron Glenn just drafted 'himself' with Indiana national champion D'Angelo Ponds originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Jets made a few nice selections in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. They took David Bailey at No. 2 overall, then selected Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overall, and then selected Omar Cooper Jr. after a trade-up in the first round.
According to Connor Hughes of SNY, the Jets have selected Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds. He's a super fun prospect who's just 5-foot-9. But, there's a more fun reason why this pick works for the Jets.
As NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah shared, "Aaron Glenn just drafted himself." How did Glenn draft "himself" with the No. 50 pick? Pond's pro comparison is Aaron Glenn, his new head coach and defensive playcaller.
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Ponds is 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. He played great in 2025 for the Indiana Hoosiers, the National Champions this past college season.
"Aaron Glenn just drafted himself." Might be @MoveTheSticks' favorite pick of the night π pic.twitter.com/5TgdC4Cng3
Glenn, during his days in the NFL, came in at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds. He's a very similar size to Ponds, with the same height and only just 15 pounds heavier.
If there were a defensive mind to help turn Ponds into a good NFL player, then it would be Glenn and the Jets defense.
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The Jets head coach and defensive play-caller was a three-time Pro Bowler who had 41 interceptions in his NFL career.
While Ponds might have had some questions coming into the NFL with his size, the landing spot for the Indiana cornerback is about as good as it could get.
What better way to make a transition to the NFL than to go under a coach who was the same outlier size as him in the NFL, and had a very successful career?
This might be one of the most fun picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, as Glenn found a way to draft himself with the No. 50 pick by taking Ponds, the Indiana CB who is 5-foot-9.
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