Analyzing How Azareye’h Thomas Fits Into The NY Jets Defense

The New York Jets have been blowing the 2025 NFL Draft out of the water through the first two rounds. Landing the likes of Armand Membou and Mason Taylor already improves the Jets’ offense from where it was at this time last year. However, the third-round pick can be viewed as the first real head-scratcher of the draft by the Jets and their new regime, as the Jets picked up cornerback Azareye’h Thomas from Florida State University.

On paper, this is a very solid pick. After addressing some needs for their offense with their first two picks, the Jets looked to fill a couple of holes with their defense. After losing cornerback D.J. Reed to free agency, this seems like a solid pick, right? Well, it’s not exactly that simile. With the recent Brandon Stephens signing, this pick raises some more questions about the team’s overall strategy and what it is in regards to their cornerback and safety room. Nonetheless, here’s how Thomas fits into the Jets’ defense.

Analyzing How Azareye’h Thomas Fits Into The NY Jets Defense

Earlier this offseason, the Jets signed Stephens to a three-year, $36 million deal. This contract had $23 million guaranteed, and the Jets brought in Stephens as the replacement for Reed. It was risky right off the bat, given how Stephens played last season and his decline at the cornerback position. Now, after spending a Day 2 pick on yet another outside corner, this signing looks even more bizarre.

Should the Jets have confidence in Stephens as a starter, would they have taken Thomas this early, if even at all? Why did they choose Thomas over a wide receiver like Jaylin Noel? If the plan is to move Stephens to safety, which it very well might be, the $12 million AAV contract they handed him looks even more wild.

This is not an article to say Thomas is a bad pick by any means. Thomas profiles an outside cornerback at the next level, but this is the exact role that Stephens was expected to fill. For a team that entered the draft with far more pressing needs like a wide receiver or an edge rusher, this pick seems more like a luxury than a need. It also leaves Stephens fit on the team, looking shakier than ever.

Thomas is an excellent prospect, and realistically, this is a great value pick for the Jets. Thomas stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 197 pounds. He has an impressive size and length, making him a prototypical outside cornerback. Despite his average 4.58-second 40-yard dash, his on-field play tells a much more impressive and confident story.

After losing their former cornerback, Reed, in free agency, this was a position that the Jets needed to desperately address, somewhat early too. Azareye’h Thomas is a physical line of scrimmage player who has the ability to form a dynamic duo opposite Sauce Gardner. Thomas is a great fit as a press cornerback who can thrive outside of the defense.

Last season, Thomas allowed only 17 receptions on 33 targets. This totaled up to 144 yards, which showcases his ability to hinder some big plays down the field. He’s a physical and competitive player, and that’s evident to see while watching him. While his speed may not be elite, his size and ability to slip through players enable him to be effective on the field and contest passes while disrupting routes.

Thomas is a fantastic boundary cornerback prospect who many believe could be a top-50 pick in this class. The fact that he slipped down to the Jets with their No. 73 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is perplexing in itself. He will fit in quite nicely, and is already excited to “learn under Sauce Gardner. The biggest issue here lies with the Stephens signing, not the Thomas pick itself.

The plan for the Jets here either has to be to have Thomas sit behind Sauce and learn under him and Stephens as CB4 for the next few years, or they plan to move Stephens to the safety position. Paying Stephens, who was already one of the worst cover cornerbacks in the NFL last season, $12 million was already a big overpay. Paying him that money and asking him to play safety already feels like bad practice and a mistake on the part of the new General Manager, Darren Mougey.

Overall, the Thomas pick was excellent. The Jets picked a top-50 caliber cornerback with their No. 73 overall pick. Unfortunately, it only makes the Stephens signing look that much more confusing. There is still a lot to be excited about for the Jets landing Thomas, as he’s a tremendous cornerback, but it’s just the situations surrounding it that make it feel not the best.

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