Chiefs Draft Profile: D'Angelo Ponds is too good to care about his lack of size

If we were to throw out all the noise—all of the interviews, measurables, testing, and projection—and just make a list of the best 20 football players, D'Angelo Ponds would have to be on that list for this draft class. The Chiefs have done this sort of thing before with Trent McDuffie and Xavier Worthy, where they ignored some of the questions about size and measurables and just trusted the tape.

No matter how you feel about Xavier Worthy, there's no disputing that taking a shot on an undersized slot corner (Trent McDuffie) has paid off for the Chiefs recently. Similar to Ponds, McDuffie's tape displayed a sticky cover corner who was competitive at the catch point (despite his size) and tenacious in run support.

No matter where McDuffie plays in 2026, there's still plenty of room for a slot corner on the Chiefs roster. With questions always lingering about Kristian Fulton's health, a limited sample size from Nohl Williams, and very little depth behind them, the slot is wide open. Ponds also has extensive experience on the outside, similar to McDuffie, making the secondary deeper and more versatile for 2026.

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NFL Draft Profile: D'Angelo Ponds. Corner, Indiana

Height: 5-8 (verified )

Weight: 174 LBS. (verified)

Arm Length: 29 5/8 inches (verifed)

Tape Exposure: Penn State (2025) Oregon (2025), Purdue (2025)

Shades of: Marcus Jones

D'Angelo Ponds' background

Ponds was born in Miami, Florida, and went on to play football and run track at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Hollywood, Florida. Ponds won the 1A state championship in both the 100m and 200m dash as a senior. Rated as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports, he committed to James Madison, uniting with Curt Cignetti. He started 13 games as a true freshman and followed Cignetti to Indiana in 2024.

In two years at Indiana, he logged 118 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 20 passes defensed, and 5 interceptions, including 2 returned for touchdowns, along with a punt return touchdown. After winning the National Championship, Ponds declared for the NFL Draft on January 22.

D'Angelo Ponds' strengths

Instincts

Ponds plays the position with fluidity and seems effortless at times. He mirrors and matches well in man coverage and has strong zone awareness, too. He recognizes route combinations well, does a nice job passing off coverage responsibilities, and has a great trigger downhill.

Competetive Spirit

Ponds embodies, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog." He might be chihuahua-sized, but he plays like a pit bull. He is willing to play press coverage effectively and challenge bigger receivers and even tight ends (Kenyon Sadiq). He plays noble run defense for his size and displays high football character. He never gives up on a play in coverage or in run support.

Ball Skills

Despite only seven career interceptions in his three years of school, he's a plus ball tracker. His ability to get his head around in coverage and make a play on the ball is a plus skill. His track background shows when he gets his hands on the ball. He has high-level burst and top-end speed.

D'Angelo Ponds' Weaknesses

Frame

It has to be said, but at 5-8 and 174 lbs., Ponds is going to be smaller than almost any player he covers at the next level. His shorter arms limit his ability to play the ball against bigger receivers.

Role

Ponds has played exclusively on the outside in college, which likely isn't his best fit in the NFL. While his speed and instincts project well inside at slot, it is still a projection at this point. His size limitations likely cap what he can do on the outside.

Versatilty

While he is competitive, he's not been an impact weapon as a blitzer (0 career sacks), and his frame also limits what he can do in the run game. He's a coverage-first player out of the slot, which is valuable, but he might not be able to provide the run defense and downhill crashing nature needed in the modern slot defender.

Should the Chiefs take D'Angelo Ponds no matter what?

When you turn on the tape, it's hard not to fall in love with the player. Between the ability, character, and fight, he's just a guy you love to root for. Chances are, Ponds will be an early Day 2 prospect despite the limited role, just based on these traits. As we said, the Chiefs have a need in the slot no matter what happens with McDuffie. Ponds presents several traits the Chiefs will love. The only question is whether you can have a secondary of him and McDuffie, or if that creates a risk of getting bullied by a Cortland Sutton, A.J. Brown, or Brock Bowers.

D'Angelo Ponds is a competitive, instinctive corner with strong zone awareness, vertical speed, and ball skills. He has great ball-tracking ability. Likely a nickel due to size and length limitations, he can be tested by bigger wide receivers and in run support.

Round Grade: Green Chip (Second-Round Grade)