Reporting live from NY Jets headquarters in Florham Park, NJ—The New York Jets wanted to get some depth in the secondary, and that’s exactly what Aaron Glenn’s squad did by coming away with a top available player in the third round.
The Jets drafted Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas with the 73rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Thomas is over 6-foot-1 and is one of the bigger cornerbacks coming out of the draft this year.
To say he fits Glenn’s preferred cornerback prototype would be one of the greatest understatements of the year.
How Thomas fits into the Jets’ depth chart is the real item up for debate.
New York signed Brandon Stephens to a three-year deal in free agency. Thanks to the money, the expectation is that Stephens is slated to start opposite Sauce Gardner.
Now, courtesy of the Jets’ third-round pick, there will be questions about whether Stephens moves to safety—his original position coming out of the combine four years ago.
For now, what’s clear is that Glenn, a defensive mind, is a fan of the Seminole product. Moreover, Thomas adds depth to a cornerback room that is beginning to mold a specific prototype in the head coach’s vision: tall, lanky, physical, etc., to work with heavy blitz concepts.
Azareye’h Thomas joins first-round tackle Armand Membou and second-round tight end Mason Taylor as the New York Jets’ first three picks in the 2025 NFL draft.
Learn more about the New York Jets’ first two draft picks right here:
- No. 7: Armand Membou (OT-Missouri)
- No. 42: Mason Taylor (TE-LSU)
