At first glance, it seemed like the Jets wanted to see what they had in second-round rookie cornerback D'Angelo Ponds when they gave him his first NFL start Sunday against the Dolphins.
It turns out that wasn't always the plan.
New York made previously starting cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. a healthy scratch going into the Week 7 AFC East showdown. Head coach Aaron Glenn clarified that the decision is one the team is handling internally with Brownlee.
In short, the Jets benched Brownlee for a reason outside of just injuries. So how did Ponds look in his debut start? Do the Jets still see Brownlee as part of their plans going forward?
It's time to break all of those questions down now.
What to take away from D'Angelo Ponds's Week 7 performance
Context is important when judging Ponds' first NFL start. Remember, this is a player who didn't get a training camp and had to learn a brand-new position at nickel on the fly. He received limited practice reps and has been thrust onto the field.
So it should come as no surprise that Ponds had a mixed day on Sunday.
Ponds was targeted three times, giving up one catch for five yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Still, he didn't have the best day tackling and was charged with a pass interference penalty in the end zone during Miami's touchdown drive before the half ended. PFF graded his game out to a respectable 64.6 on 30 defensive snaps, ranking 38th-best among 77 cornerbacks to play at least 20 snaps in Week 7.
The idea is that Ponds will get better with time and more reps.
And because of that, New York's other slot corner becomes even more expendable with each passing day.
What it means for Jarvis Brownlee's future
The moment the Jets drafted Ponds in the 2026 NFL Draft's second round, it seemed like Brownlee's future was going to be in question.
The veteran CB was one of the unit's best players over the course of the last few weeks, but fast-forward to when he was benched after a miscommunication on a touchdown pass in New York's loss to New England, which opened the door for Ponds to play. It doesn't help that opposing QBs have a 78.6% completion rate when targeting Brownlee since Week 4, per PFF.
However, it's clear that the Jets want to see more out of Ponds. If they were focused solely on winning games, then it's clear Brownlee should be on the field some more. Teams have targeted New York's secondary more and more, and viable veterans are needed when that happens.
But that isn't the total end goal anymore. At least not after the team's loss to Miami.
Whatever the reason Brownlee was benched, it's clear he could be one of several players the Jets move for future draft capital ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Brownlee is under contract through 2027, according to Spotrac, with cap hits of $1.085 million this season and $1.19 million next. While the Jets should be rethinking their plans in the secondary, potential trades are still something that the team needs to focus on.
And that leaves Brownlee expendable for the future as Ponds gets more reps going forward.
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