Azareye’h Thomas was expected to be drafted much earlier this past April. The Florida State product was known as one of the best press corners in the 2025 class.
Some draft analysts had Thomas as a borderline first-round pick. When the New York Jets landed him in the third round with the 73rd overall pick, it was considered a steal for the organization.
With Sauce Gardner (concussion) ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thomas is about to make his first NFL start.
Thomas will draw one of the toughest challenges that a cornerback making his first start could ask for. The 21-year-old will line up across from Cincinnati’s standout wide receiver duo: Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Jets’ head coach believes the third-rounder is ready.
“We have other guys that have to step up, and that’s what this league is,” Glenn said regarding Gardner’s injury. “No one’s going to feel sorry for you, not going to feel sorry for us, so AZ [Thomas] is going to step up, and he’s going to do a good job for us.”
It’s a true “feet into the fire” moment for the rookie.
Thomas in line for first Jets start
It’s important to remember that the Jets are not intentionally putting Thomas in a difficult situation.
Gardner’s concussion leaves the team with no other choice. On Sunday, the Florida State corner will face arguably the best receiver duo in the NFL. Chase and Higgins are coming off a combined 257-yard performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday.
But while many Jets fans shudder to think about what Chase and Higgins could do to a rookie like Thomas, his head coach is far more confident in his abilities to step in and be competitive.
“If you just go back and look at his progression as far as getting in the games, they’ve always been in the situation where if somebody gets hurt, he has to go in there and he has to play,” Glenn said. “I thought he’s done a pretty good job of that, of being ready when called upon to be able to go play.”
One of the biggest issues Thomas will face is the same one that hurt his draft stock in April. While his physicality is impressive, his lack of true top speed (he ran a 4.58 at the combine) was a major concern from scouts.
With Chase and Higgins known as quality speedsters, this is a matchup the Jets must be careful with.
Reasons for optimism
As rough an outing as many people expect to see from the rookie, the Jets and their fans should have fair expectations for Thomas. If he were to struggle, that doesn’t mean he will be a bad player for the rest of his career.
It just means he will need time to fully develop into the kind of player the Jets believe he can be.
The good news is that Thomas’ attitude has been positive all week. Despite the challenge, that outlook will serve him well as he enters the field against a two-headed monster at receiver.
“He’s not losing his confidence at all,” Glenn stated. “I’m excited about how he’s going to progress and how he’s going to continue to progress. He’s going to be a key cog to what we do as he continues his years of playing.”
Thomas is in an extremely difficult situation, one born out of necessity for the Jets. But the rookie corner has the confidence and physicality to hold his own, even against a duo like Chase and Higgins.