Fernando Mendoza isn't the only Indiana Hoosier to see his stock rise after winning the CFP National Championship.
While undersized, cornerback D'Angelo Ponds has enjoyed a slight spike in his draft stock following a spectacular combine, and he's suddenly considered one of the top defensive backs in a class with a sharp falloff. That doesn't mean he'll be gone in the first round, though, he's worth a serious look if you're a team in need of some depth in that room.
Ponds is a gamble, but a really great athlete and a defender who fills a need for the Detroit Lions. That's what makes The Athletic's Dane Brugler's recent 7-round mock draft, which has the team taking Ponds at 50th overall, not all that surprising. He feels like a Brad Holmes-esque pick, and one that bites back loudly at fans clamoring for Detroit to fill a roster need with that 2nd rounder.
Brugler's latest Lions mock draft screams Brad Holmes
Ponds, who FanSided's very own Mike Luciano has as the NFL Draft's 44th best player, could be a perfect option as Ennis Rakestraw Jr. insurance. The young cornerback hasn't proved much in his short time in Detroit, and it might be time to add some legitimate pressure to his role.
This is a very unpopular pick for the Lions at this spot in the draft, though, with almost every other mock draft having them take a pass rusher or defensive tackle at this position. Luciano wrote of Ponds:
"If Ponds were even 5-11, he would be a first-round pick. At 5-9 (maybe) and 175 pounds on a good day, Ponds is likely going to be limited to the nickel in the pros, and his cavalier style of play can lead to him getting burnt. Despite that, Ponds is an elite athlete who can tackle better than DBs with 40 extra pounds on them. The ball skills are tremendous, the football IQ is exceptional, and the fire he plays with is noticeable to all."
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Ponds just feels like a player that most other teams will regret not taking a swing on a few years down the line. It would be nice for the Lions to address their need for a taller, larger cornerback in this draft, but this simply isn't the year for that. In this mock draft from Brugler, the Lions actually don't take a pass rusher until the 4th round, taking Caden Curry out of The Ohio State University 118th overall.
As Holmes mentioned in his pre-draft press availability, he would hate to regret passing on a better player to better fit a roster need in this draft. If Ponds does fall to the Lions in the 2nd round, he could very well be one of the best players left on the board - and that might just be too enticing for Holmes to pass up.
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