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NFL draft profile 2026: D’Angelo Ponds (Cornerback, Indiana)

Published

3 weeks ago

March 21, 2026

The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh! This draft season, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital, and their fit with the Steelers.

The nickel cornerback position is essentially a starter in the modern NFL, and not many 2026 draft prospects have more hype there than D’Angelo Ponds. Could he be in play for the Steelers?

The basics on D’Angelo Ponds

Defensive stats via Sports Reference

D’Angelo Ponds scouting report

I’m not sure if there’s a prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft more universally loved than Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds. And if you watched him this season, you’d understand why. Ponds is the embodiment of the “got that dog in me” memes with the pit bull photo-shopped over a chest X-ray. He’s an undersized defender at 5’9, 182 pounds, sure, but he plays so much bigger and was one of the best cornerbacks in the country on a National Championship team that had to play a lot of good offenses to get that far.

The biggest constant in the games I watched of Ponds is that he makes plays. He finished 2025 with 61 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 11 passes defensed. He’s a high-effort player who can defend both the run and pass. That leads to production in every aspect of the game.

Ponds is more than just an undersized fan favorite, as well. While he didn’t test much at the NFL Combine, his vertical jump was elite and he looked plenty fluid in the individual drills. He’s an NFL athlete.

Ponds is a lot of fun to watch in coverage. He’s generally smooth in his transitions, with urgent, choppy footwork that helps him stay in the receiver’s pocket throughout the play. His sub-30” arms are a bit of a concern on paper, but you wouldn’t guess it from his play — Ponds does a great job contesting catches and uses his arms well to make a play on the ball.

Ponds also possesses good instincts in zone coverage, especially near the line of scrimmage. When he sniffs out a route he drives on it quickly to make a play.

Ponds has a bit of a folk hero reputation on NFL Draft Twitter — well deserved, in my opinion — but we do have to be realistic about his projection in the pros. Ponds plays big, but was still brought back down to earth against Madden-create-a-player Jeremiah Smith in their matchup.

You’ll also see him give up contested catches to big pass-catchers at times. Ultimately, while I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ponds hold up OK on the boundary in the NFL, his skill set definitely translates best to the slot where he won’t be matched up against X receivers as often and can play to his strengths coming downhill.

Because again, even though Ponds is not a large corner, he’s a great tackler for his position, hitting with impact and consistently wrapping up.

Ponds projects as a plus starter in the nickel in the NFL thanks to his coverage ability and tackling mindset.

Strengths

Choppy, active feet; mirrors effectively and relentlessly
Plays much larger than his listed size
Ferocious at the catch point; disrupts receivers with his arms
Effective, high-effort tackler

Weaknesses

Will likely be limited to the slot in the NFL
Lack of size can be an issue against big X receivers; bullied by Jeremiah Smith
Aggressive playing style occasionally backfires

What others are saying about D’Angelo Ponds

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Ponds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity. He’s tremendously competitive and winning seems to follow him at each stop. He matches press releases with good slide quickness and has the speed to stay in-phase as routes travel vertically. Eye discipline, instincts and trigger quickness fuel his zone work and catch disruption. Size limitations will likely push him to nickelback, where mismatches against bigger bodies and physical challenges from run games will test his playmaking/durability. Ponds is a likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.

Daniel Harms, Bleacher Report

Ponds plays with fantastic zone awareness in any variation thanks to his quick feet and track background. His instincts are tied to strong eye discipline and make him a formidable opponent when reading the quarterback. … Doesn’t panic with the ball in the air and plays with the mindset of a bigger corner when working downfield. He attacks the catchpoint with authority and timing to disrupt catches. .. When dealing with comeback routes or hitches at full speed, he displays a slight hitch within his deceleration. This slight pause allows receivers to sell deep and break him off at the top of routes. … PRO COMPARISON: Marcus Jones

Jay Robins, Stampede Blue

The simple fact is, Ponds’ tape is sensational. Had he grown roughly 3 inches taller and had his arm length and weight grow proportionally, his tape would warrant not just Round 1 discussion, but created a Top Corner in the Class debate with LSU’s Mansoor Delane. Even without that extra growth spurt, Ponds has maximized every athletic gift he’s been given and plays with a fiery intensity that shines bright. As one of the chairmen of the Upton Stout = Stud committee leading up to last years’ draft, I can’t help but love the tape and trust in the player’s clear passion to work itself out; measuring tape be damned.

D’Angelo Ponds’ fit with the Steelers

If the Steelers plan to move Jalen Ramsey to safety in the future, drafting Ponds in the second round would shore up the Pittsburgh secondary with a quality slot corner. He could also see some success on the outside in more of a cloud corner role.

Of course, the Steelers could see Ramsey as the answer in the slot for the time being (where I think he fits best), making a Ponds pick somewhat redundant. Either way, the Indiana product is sure to be an instant fan favorite wherever he lands.

TL;DR: Ponds is a feisty, undersized cornerback who excels as a tackler and in coverage. He’s a playmaker in every phase of the game who will likely move to the slot in the NFL, but Ponds’ athleticism and high-effort playing style should make him an instant contributor.

What are your thoughts on Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!

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Indiana

Young male critically injured in downtown Indianapolis shooting

Published

44 minutes ago

April 12, 2026

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Young male critically injured in downtown Indianapolis shooting

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police say a young male is in critical condition after being shot Saturday night on Indy’s north side near the IU Indy and Purdue Indy campuses.

According to a release from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, just after 11 p.m. officers responded to the 900 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the report of a person shot.

Officers arrived to find a young male with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.

He was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Police say they do not have any further details on the incident or the suspect.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

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Indiana

Veteran forward becomes first unrestricted free agent to sign with Indiana Fever in 2026

Published

13 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Veteran forward becomes first unrestricted free agent to sign with Indiana Fever in 2026

Veteran forward Monique Billings is signing a multi-year deal with the Indiana Fever.
She has recently played alongside future teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark in other leagues.
Billings has fully recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined her for part of the 2025 season.

Monique Billings is coming to the Indiana Fever on a multi-year deal, sources confirmed to IndyStar on Saturday.

Billings, an eight-year veteran forward, played with the Golden State Valkyries in 2025 after she was selected as the lone unrestricted free agent in the 2024 expansion draft. She played 26 games with eight starts in 2025, averaging 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

She missed part of the Valkyries’ season with an ankle injury, missing all of August while she recovered. She has since fully recovered, playing in the final month of the WNBA season and participating in Unrivaled and the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in early 2026. Billings has recent history with some of Indiana’s core players, too: she played with Kelsey Mitchell on Hive BC in Unrivaled, then with Caitlin Clark at the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico in March.

Buy 2026 Indiana Fever tickets!

This story will be updated.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar’s YouTube channel for Fever Insiders Live.

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Sixers beat Pacers, ensuring Indiana’s season ends as second-worst in league

Published

1 day ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Sixers beat Pacers, ensuring Indiana’s season ends as second-worst in league

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points, Paul George had 21 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 105-94 on Friday night to snap a three-game skid.

VJ Edgecombe scored 16 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 and Andre Drummond had 16 rebounds and 10 points for the Sixers (44-37), who maintained their eighth-place position in the Eastern Conference with one game remaining.

A year after they made it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Pacers (19-62) ensured they will finish with the second-worst record in the league.

Jarace Walker led Indiana with 17 points, followed by Quenton Jackson with 16 and Ethan Thompson with 15. Micah Potter had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pacers went 14 of 50 from 3-point range, while the Sixers were 5 of 29. Indiana had 21 turnovers while the Sixers had just eight.

Philadelphia finished with a 64-28 advantage in points in the paint.

The Sixers led 58-51 at halftime. Indiana tied it twice in the third quarter, the last time at 64-all, before Philadelphia closed the quarter with a 25-13 stretch to take an 89-77 lead.

Philadelphia big man Joel Embiid, who averages 27 points, had an appendectomy on Thursday in Houston and was released from the hospital Friday. Coach Nick Nurse said the surgery went well, but there is no timetable for Embiid’s return.

Indiana was without coach Rick Carlisle, who missed his second consecutive game to attend his daughter’s sorority spring parents formal at the University of Virginia. He will return for Sunday’s season finale.