The Cleveland Browns have signed more than a few undrafted free agents and they seem to have taken a liking to some smaller school guys. Jermaine Ponder comes from the division FCS level out of St. Francis in Pennsylvania. After dominating that level of competition he flew under the draft radar and now Cleveland is trying to take a deeper look.
Jermaine Ponder, cornerback
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200 pounds
Ponder has the ideal size scouts search for in a starting corner as he stands over six feet tall and considering St. Francis (PA) was still a division one school, Ponder was able to land on a few team’s radars for the draft process, but after his incredible pro day, which resulted in Ponder running a 4.4 forty, hitting a 40 inch vertical and an 11-1 broad jump, everyone wrote down his name on their big board.
Ponder likely went undrafted for a number of reasons including that despite playing at a lower division his tape was not phenomenal, he shows flashes of his great athleticism, but also appears to take plays off. He did not dominate as expected.
The Northeastern Conference is not the toughest conference in football and the best receiver Ponder faced was likely on his own team at practice in Kamron Lewis. It is hard to imagine Ponder making the transition to a starting-caliber NFL cornerback, but his hope is to and on the roster in part due to his ability on special teams.
