When the New York Jets were heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, it felt like they were targeting a certain type of player, especially with their top selections.
All the players they grabbed in the first and second rounds came from prestigious collegiate programs, with a pedigree for winning.
New York picked up Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. and D’Angelo Ponds with No. 30 and No. 50 overall, respectively, rounding out the top of their class with two reigning national champions.
The two Hoosiers come directly from the school of Curt Cignetti, arguably the best coach in college football and a guy who has a knack for building programs from the ground up.
The Jets could use something like that to finally get them out of their own perpetual rebuild, and if Ponds is to be believed, Aaron Glenn might have similar traits to Cignetti.
D’Angelo Ponds Reveals Similarities Between His 2 Coaches
In an interview with The Jet Press, Ponds was asked about some of the similarities he sees between coach Cignetti and his current coach with the New York Jets, Glenn, and he says that both leaders have a decent amount in common.
“Definitely see a lot of similarities. I would say they’re both very detail-oriented, focus on the small things. They’re not going to let you get away with much. Some coaches will probably just look past those things, but they’re very keyed on the little details, and I feel like that’s one of the main things that reminds me of him (Glenn) and Coach Cignetti,” Ponds told The Jet Press.
“They’re also guys who will teach you how to move on from the next play. Coach Glenn always harps on… good play, bad play, indifferent, moving on to the next play. And I feel like that’s like the same thing Coach Cignetti used to do.”
Jets fans are hoping Glenn has at least some level of Cignetti in him. After all, he’s tasked with turning around a franchise that hasn’t seen the postseason since 2010.
But acquiring players with a winning pedigree like Ponds is a great step in the right direction, and that’s the kind of player who can help build a perennial loser from the ground up.
Jets Plucking From Top College Programs
Ponds and Cooper weren’t the only two players the New York Jets acquired their top draft picks from.
David Bailey, the No. 2 overall pick in this past April’s class, is a product of Texas Tech. Last season, the Red Raiders won the Big 12 and went 12-2 en route to the College Football Playoff.
Even Kenyon Sadiq, the Jets’ No. 16 overall pick, comes from a prestigious college football team.
The Oregon Ducks are consistently a playoff contender, and Dan Lanning has done a great job of maintaining continuity from season to season despite losing many players to the NFL.
These are the exact type of teams the Jets should continue to find new talent from, and hope their winning pedigrees carry over from college to the NFL.
So far, so good for Darren Mougey.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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