New York Jets
New York Jets rookie cornerback Azareye’h Thomas flexing at media day.
A surprising New York Jets rookie has made some noise this offseason.
Jets senior reporter Eric Allen highlighted cornerback Azareye’h Thomas as someone who has “popped early.”
“Thomas is a feisty young CB with impressive length and competes,” Allen added.
Thomas Pick Was a Surprise Selection for the Jets During the 2025 NFL Draft
With the No. 73 overall pick in the third round, the Jets took Thomas, a cornerback out of Florida State.
It was a surprising selection. Typically, players taken within the first three rounds end up either being immediate starters or big-time contributors if you, as talent evaluators, did your job right.
The Jets had Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II as starters heading into the offseason. Then, in free agency, the green and white made a big splash signing Brandon Stephens to a three-year $36 million deal, the second-largest deal the Jets gave out this offseason.
That’s a long way short of saying the Jets entered the draft without having the cornerback position very high on the wish list.
In Zack Rosenblatt’s column for The Athletic, he revealed which players are trending in the right direction and which players are struggling.
Stephens was listed as a stock-down player for his struggles trying to contain the great Garrett Wilson. However, Thomas earned a stock-up shout-out from the same panel.
“The rookie third-round pick hasn’t gone against Fields much but he stood out in most of the team drills open to the media, making plays on the ball and holding his own in coverage against some veteran wide receivers. He was considered more of a project coming out of college, but it will be interesting to see if he can build on a strong spring,” Rosenblatt said.
The Jets Draft Investment Will Be a Fascinating Storyline to Watch
“AZ Thomas, he looks the part, he did coming out of Florida State, and now you’re starting to see him flash, making plays on the ball,” Allen said on the “Official Jets Podcast.” “Thomas is a guy who has popped early on in his professional career.
Barring something catastrophic, Stephens will be the starting cornerback opposite Gardner in Week 1. How long will that last? Only the Gods know.
Thomas has been breathing down his neck throughout the voluntary OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and whatever else is set to come.
There are some draft analysts who thought Thomas was a first-round level prospect. However, at the underwear olympics, Thomas didn’t run as fast as he or the teams watching had hoped. That severely impacts his draft stock.
The Jets stole him in the third round. It wasn’t a need by any means. However, general manager Joe Douglas once said that today’s luxury can often become a necessity. While there is no clear path for Thomas to start in the season opener, if he continues to do the right things behind the scenes, he will have a chance to take someone’s job eventually.
Thomas is the ultimate insurance policy for the Jets at corner. If they take an injury hit there, the team will be able to pivot to another option.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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