There hasn’t been a ton of variance for the Cleveland Browns in 2026 mock drafts. Most experts have the Browns going wide receiver and offensive tackle, not necessarily in that order, with their two first-round picks, Nos. 6 and 24.
That's hardly a surprise to Browns fans, as draft analysts tend to hone in on each team’s most glaring roster need, and Cleveland’s top needs at left tackle and wide receiver are undeniable.
More surprising has been a growing expectation for the Browns on Day 2 — cornerback.
The Browns are regularly being mocked cornerbacks like Brandon Cisse and Colton Hood, either at pick No. 24 or their second-round pick, No. 39 overall. ESPN’s latest mock had the Browns taking Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II in the third round, No. 70 overall.
Cornerback depth is definitely a need for the Browns. It’s debatable, though, how high that position group ranks on their April priority list. Denzel Ward is still playing at an elite level, and GM Andrew Berry added his new sidekick in Tyson Campbell in a trade with the Jaguars last season. Berry seems confident enough in his current depth chart to let things play out with Martin Emerson Jr., Cleveland’s third-round pick in 2022 who remains unsigned.
But while Campbell was solid after being acquired by the Browns last season, his history with soft-tissue injuries remains a concern. He struggled to stay on the field in Jacksonville, and when there’s this much smoke among a group of NFL experts, Browns fans should be paying close attention to the top Day 2 cornerback prospects in this draft class.
Enter Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, who was one of the most impressive Hoosiers not named Fernando Mendoza at a Pro Day that featured scouts from all 32 teams on Wednesday.
D’Angelo Ponds feels like a Day 2 steal in the making for the Browns
The knock on Ponds is his size. At the scouting combine, he measured in under 5-foot-9 and weighed 182 pounds. Can he hold up against bigger-bodied wide receivers and tight ends in the NFL? That’s the million-dollar question that could knock one of the most intriguing prospects in this year's draft class to the middle rounds.
Ponds turned heads at Indiana’s Pro Day with an unofficial 40 time of 4.31 seconds. He might be even faster than that, as he told reporters he was hitting 4.28 during his preparation for the workout.
Elite speed is just part of the package with Ponds, who was like super glue in coverage during the Hoosiers’ run to the national title last year. In the College Football Playoff Championship Game, he allowed just one catch on six targets in coverage with three pass breakups. For the season, quarterbacks targeting Ponds had a combined passer rating of just 55.4, per Pro Football Focus. He also didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage and committed just one penalty in 15 games.
If the buzz around the Browns targeting a cornerback early in this draft holds true, Ponds seems like the exact type of prospect that Berry would target. Due to his size concerns, Ponds' talent and overall value could far outweigh where he ends up landing in the draft.
That could put him at or near the top of the Browns’ board around pick No. 39 overall.