The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to upgrade the cornerback depth once again in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The team signed Zyon McCollum to a three-year extension last offseason, and drafted both Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish on Day 2 of last year’s draft.
But after the losses of longtime starter Jamel Dean, backup Kindle Vildor, and even Bryce Hall from the practice squad, the cornerback position has become dangerously thin.
One of the best cornerbacks in this draft class wasn’t previously considered to be an option for Tampa Bay, but recent comments by head coach Todd Bowles have seemingly put an elite cornerback prospect back on the draft board.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers could draft D’Angelo Ponds after recent Todd Bowles comments
D’Angelo Ponds was a key member of Indiana’s National Championship-winning squad in 2025.
Pro Football Focus gave him an elite 88.8 overall grade for the season, which ranked eighth out of 897 cornerbacks. His pure coverage grade was an 89.6, ranking seventh in the nation.
He’s a highly physical, competitive player who led his team with ten passes broken up, along with two interceptions. The reason he was thought to not be an option for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is his size.
Ponds is only 5-foot-9, 182 pounds. His aggressive play style and ability to match up with receivers much bigger than him is reminiscent of Bucs cornerback Jacob Parrish who measured in at 5-foot-10, 191 pounds. Parrish ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at the Combine, and Ponds was timed at 4.31 at his Pro Day. There are a ton of similarities in both their demeanor and their measurables.
The issue is that the Bucs are looking primarily for a boundary cornerback, not another nickel, and many project that despite playing outside in college, Ponds’ size will push him into the slot at the pro level.
With Parrish likely maintaining his role at starting nickel cornerback, and standout JJ Roberts returning from injury with a chance to earn the backup nickel role, there might not be room for another nickel.
But Todd Bowles just changed the perception when asked at the NFL owners meetings if size will be a determining factor for potential Bucs cornerback targets.
“No, I don’t think [I need to add more] size,” Bowles replied, via JoeBucsFan. “I think if you’re a good player, we’re looking at you. I’ve seen some good players in this draft and then I’ve seen some good players out on the street. They’re not necessarily ideal size, but if you have enough savviness and you understand the game and can play, we don’t problem taking you.”
The comments come after Bowles said earlier this offseason he wants to get bigger on defense, but he seemed to be talking more about his defensive front than his secondary.
So that’s coming from the head coach himself. Size won’t be a make-or-break factor, and Ponds is one of the best cornerbacks of this draft class. If he falls to the Buccaneers in the second round, they might give some real consideration to adding him to the secondary.