The Jets left Detroit at 1-2 after a 31-24 loss in Week 3, and while there were a few encouraging signs, the margin for error is getting thin. One of the clearest takeaways from the game was that New York can feel good about Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in the slot - but that shouldn’t stop the team from finding room for D’Angelo Ponds.
Ponds finally made his debut after missing several weeks with a calf injury, and the Jets handled it the cautious way. He logged just two snaps against the Lions, both as a dime back in red zone situations. That was the right approach against a Detroit offense like that one, especially with Ponds still shaking off the rust from the layoff.
Brownlee Jr., meanwhile, has done enough to keep the staff comfortable. Through three games, he’s been a reliable slot option, and his physical style stands out.
He’ll come up and tackle, and he’s willing to do the dirty work against the run. In coverage, he’s allowed seven catches on 13 targets for 42 yards.
He has also given up touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, which is hardly ideal.
Still, the production has been solid enough to show up in the numbers. According to Pro Football Focus, Brownlee Jr. ranks ninth among cornerbacks in coverage grade at 76.5 after Week 3. That doesn’t tell the whole story, but it does reinforce that he’s been doing his job.
Even so, Ponds has a case for a bigger role. The Jets’ next opponent is the Chicago Bears, and with quarterback Caleb Williams expected to be inactive, the game could tilt heavily toward the ground attack. Brownlee’s toughness will matter there, but New York also needs the kind of playmaking Ponds can bring in the secondary.
The outside corner spots appear spoken for, with Azareye’h Thomas and Brandon Stephens both holding up well. That leaves the slot as Ponds’ clearest path to more snaps.
Coming out of college, his calling cards were eye discipline, quick direction changes, and the ability to stay attached in coverage. He also isn’t shy about getting involved as a tackler.
The Indiana product showed plenty of ball production in college, too. Over 41 games, he posted 10.5 TFLs, 33 pass deflections, and seven interceptions.
Of course, the NFL is a different level. But the traits are there, and the Jets could use them.
New York has gone 20 games without an interception, and Ponds has the kind of ball skills that could help end that streak. He’d also give the defense another athletic piece in the secondary.
Getting him on the field probably means taking some snaps from Brownlee Jr., but that may be the move sooner rather than later. The Jets used the 50th overall pick on Ponds for a reason, and it’s on Glenn to find a way to get him involved.
In Other News...
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The Jets first-round pair is already giving the front office plenty to like. New York took Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, then came back later for Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30, a sequence that looked bold at the time and is starting to look even more interesting now.
At the same time, the conversation around USC receiver Makai Lemon keeps lingering because he went to Philadelphia at No. 20. Through three games, Lemon has 33 yards on eight touches, while Cooper has 30 yards but has been slowed by injury, and Sadiq just turned in a 100-yard game with a touchdown. Early on, the Jets seem comfortable with their haul, even if the Lemon debate is hardly going away. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Suddenly Have A Real Nahshon Wright Problem In The Secondary
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Jets fans have seen versions of this before, and the comparison to former cornerback Dmitri Patterson only sharpens the discomfort. When a veteran is signed to bring stability but winds up on the sideline instead, it usually says plenty about how the coaching staff views the position group. Wrights role is now one of the more interesting questions on the roster, especially with the season still young and the secondary already sorting out who fits where. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Win Just Took On A Much Darker Meaning For Packers Fans
The Packers Week 2 win over the Jets came with an immediate cost that is still hanging over Green Bays season. Jayden Reed, one of the teams top young receivers, was injured on the second play of that game and has now been placed on injured reserve because of a neck injury, turning what looked like a routine early-season result into a much more sobering development for the Packers offense.
Reed is out indefinitely, with no return timeline announced, and that leaves Green Bay to sort through both its roster and its game plan without one of its most reliable pass-catching options. For the Jets, the loss itself is old news. For the Packers, the fallout from it is still very much unfolding. [Read more 🡒]