The Lions may look to fortify the CB position early in the draft given the returning health concerns of Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw. D’Angelo Ponds is a medically clean option in rounds 2 or 3 of the draft.
Here is the excerpt of my medical report on Ponds:
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(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
D’Angelo Ponds, CB (uncertain age, 21?) – Indiana
Projected round 2-3. #83 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
Ponds appears to have a minimal injury history. While his age is unknown, he is likely very young, having played only 3 years of college. All this makes him one of the cleanest prospects in the draft.
His height/weight are on the smaller side as he was listed at 5’9”, 173lb at Indiana. While some teams may see this as a negative, I think it’s debatable whether a smaller player is actually at higher risk for injury in the NFL.
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Ponds could be a plug-and-play replacement for Amik Robertson who left as a free agent.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: NFL Draft Injury Analysis: D’Angelo Ponds, CB – Indiana