How the Jets turned a miss on Jacob Rodriguez into a smarter outcome

The New York Jets entered Friday night's second round with a strategy for selection No. 44. Jacob Rodriguez, the linebacker from Texas Tech, was the player they aimed for at that position. Miami then entered at No. 43 and selected him.

In just a few minutes, the Jets moved back from 44 to 50 by trading with the Detroit Lions and acquired a fourth-round pick in the deal. They quickly utilized that second-round selection to draft Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds.

The trade sent pick No. 128 to the Jets.

Ponds was a key piece of Indiana's defense on a Hoosier team that finished 16-0 and won the national championship this past season. His instincts and competitive edge were cited consistently through the pre-draft process.

2026 NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available

Per the New York Jets' official site, he described his game as "aggressive, scrappy" and said he can operate inside or outside. NFL.com's draft analysis rated him a standout pick, comparing him to a small but highly instinctive defensive back with too many positives to fail.

And he already has a teammate waiting. The Jets selected Ponds' Indiana teammate, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., earlier in the draft by trading up with San Francisco on Thursday night. In the span of 24 hours, New York went to the Hoosier well twice.

Cooper Jr. broke the drought as the first Indiana player drafted by the Jets since Carl Barzilauskas was taken sixth overall back in 1974, and Ponds made it two in less than 24 hours

Having missed their preferred linebacker, New York found capital and a corner in the same trade.

How worth it was that pivot? Nobody can tell for sure until we see the result.

More NFL news:

• How Browns addressed their big nickel safety hole on Day 2 of the draft
• How David Bailey picked the wrong New York rival to call out on night one
• Sean McVay seemed somewhere else after the Rams took Ty Simpson
• Malik Nabers' reaction to Caleb Downs going to Dallas says everything
• Micah Parsons had one thing to say after the Cowboys draft Caleb Downs
• How the Eagles' Makai Lemon pick came directly at the Steelers' expense