When the New York Jets were on the clock with the 44th overall pick, the man they wanted was there for the taking, but they felt they could have their cake and eat it, too.<\/p>\n
New York acquired an extra draft pick<\/a> with a short trade down. When they were up again with the 50th overall pick, New York pulled the trigger, and they brought in a player who was among the most feared cornerbacks in college football: Indiana\u2019s D\u2019Angelo Ponds<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe asked wide receivers that we interviewed, whether it\u2019s combine, all-star games, guys we bring in for visits, we often ask them like, \u2018Who\u2019s the best corner you go against?’\u201d Jets general manager Darren Mougey said. \u201cNumerous guys, if they faced Ponds, all of them, Ponds.\u201d<\/p>\n New York\u2019s choice made headlines not only for the addition of a dominant cornerback, but also for Ponds\u2019 uncanny resemblance to their head coach.<\/p>\n Jets\u2019 Day 2 clone<\/p>\n Ponds has drawn comparisons to Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who was a three-time Pro Bowl player as an undersized corner. Ponds, who stands at 5-foot-8, is hoping to mirror Glenn\u2019s success.<\/p>\n Now, as head coach, though, Glenn has made it clear he isn\u2019t expecting Ponds to be anything but himself.<\/p>\n \u201cD\u2019Angelo is his own man, and he\u2019s a guy, again, that we love,\u201d Glenn said. \u201cLove the player; tough, aggressive, comes from a winning program\u2026 He\u2019s a damn good player.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the second-round pick understood the importance of that comparison.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to his game and my game,\u201d Ponds said. \u201cI think we have some similarities and that\u2019s definitely a compliment to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Players across the country had the utmost respect for Ponds\u2019 game. When Jets\u2019 16th overall pick, tight end Kenyon Sadiq, was asked which player he hated going up against last season while with the Oregon Ducks, his answer was simple.<\/p>\n Ponds. <\/p>\n Even Ponds\u2019 starting quarterback at Indiana, Fernando Mendoza, understood how difficult a player he was to go against. <\/p>\n