Brock: A ‘ferocious’ cornerback for Seahawks in NFL Draft

After letting Riq Woolen walk in free agency, the Seattle Seahawks could look to reinforce their cornerback room in the NFL Draft.

Rost: 5 Seahawks nuggets from NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler

One potential option is Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, who was the subject of former NFL quarterback Brock Huard‘s Seahawks draft profile series Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

While some draft analysts have concern over his undersized 5-foot-9, 182-pound frame, Ponds played much larger than his height while serving a key role in Indiana’s storybook two-year turnaround that culminated in a national championship this past season.

After starring at James Madison in 2023, Ponds followed head coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection each of the past two seasons, along with a second-team AP All-American nod in 2025. Over his two seasons with the Hoosiers, he totaled five interceptions, two pick-sixes, 20 pass breakups, 8.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

“Man, is he feisty,” Huard said. “He will scratch the cornea off your eyeball. … They actually put him into the boundary and let him just take people away. They said, OK, even though you’re that size, you are so ferocious, we are going to let you go play man to man over there, go play into the boundary and take that dude away.

“And he did it over and over and over and over again.”

Big-time production and elite explosion

Ponds delivered a pair of massive plays during Indiana’s national title run, earning Defensive MVP honors in both the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl.

In the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, Ponds came up with a strip-sack fumble of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to help key a rout of the Crimson Tide. And in the CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl, Ponds intercepted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore for a 25-yard pick-six on the game’s opening snap to kickstart a blowout of the Ducks.

Ponds finished the season ranked No. 7 out of 908 FBS cornerbacks in Pro Football Focus grading, including No. 9 in coverage grading and No. 37 in run defense grading.

“You can’t be a dummy and just line up and play in (the Seahawks’) system,” Huard said. “You just can’t. You’ve got to have a high football acumen, high football IQ. This guy has both. You’ve got to have a relentlessness when it comes to details. He does.”

INDIANA PICK-SIX ON DANTE MOORE ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME 🤯 pic.twitter.com/BGR1OeahyH

— ESPN (@espn) January 10, 2026

Ponds also has an elite vertical jump. He posted a 43.5-inch mark at the NFL scouting combine, which is the fifth-best mark for a cornerback in the event’s history. It was 1.5 inches higher than any other cornerback at this year’s combine.

“You want to talk about a force multiplier?” Huard said. “You put him with (Seahawks three-time Pro Bowl cornerback) Devon Witherspoon on the field, you’re talking unbelievable energy. … The amount of explosion off the ground that this guy creates, the amount of speed he has, is off the charts.”

When will he be taken?

Ponds is ranked by ESPN as the No. 9 cornerback and No. 66 overall prospect in this year’s draft.

In recent mock drafts, NFL.com’s Chad Reuter projected Ponds to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 49 overall, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. slotted him to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 61 overall.

“The height and the length – that’s the only question,” Huard said. “It’s why he’s somewhere between the fourth to eighth corner (in the draft class) with different people. He’ll probably not be maybe even on some boards because (of his) length. And when you’re facing the big, physical receivers in this league, and in this division in particular, is there enough there to rip that ball away? That’ll be the question.

“But I love the competitive spirit. I love the force multiplication. I love the explosion. … This guy can play. It’s just whether or not he can compensate for the deficiency of that length, because he’s got every single other thing you’d look for and want.”

Listen to the full draft profile from Brock Huard at this link or in the audio near the top of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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