The New York Jets’ defense has had many encouraging developments early in the 2026 season. Five games into the year, they’ve looked like a completely different unit than they did last season.
Among the most promising stories to come out of the Jets’ defense so far is the play of second-year cornerback Azareye’h Thomas.
AZ Thomas has been balling
After being selected in the third round last year, Thomas was dealt a poor hand, missing the entire preseason due to injury, which put him at a disadvantage as he began his rookie campaign. The cornerback played in 12 games and earned five starts down the stretch, where he passed the eye test. However, a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 14 cut his year short.
Thomas’ strong second summer put him in position to earn the Jets’ other starting outside cornerback job opposite Brandon Stephens. And the 2025 third-round pick has shown exactly why he deserves the role.
While playing all of the Jets’ 335 defensive snaps this season, here is where he ranks among 51 qualified cornerbacks (minimum 150 coverage snaps) in several key metrics:
- Pro Football Focus’ coverage grade: 74.4 (5th)
- Yards per reception allowed: 7.9 (4th-lowest)
- Forced incompletion rate: 19% (T-6th)
Thomas has been everything the Jets could ask for. The numbers show he has been playing very well on a snap-to-snap basis in coverage, hence his high coverage mark at PFF, the fifth-best among qualified CBs. He has also eliminated big plays, for the most part, with 7.9 yards allowed per reception, the fourth-lowest clip. Furthermore, the Florida State product also has a 19% forced incompletion rate, tied for the sixth-highest.
That’s the exact type of production you want from a second-year player who was selected in the third round. He still has areas to clean up, particularly in the penalty department, where his three flags tie for the fourth-most at his position this year.
Then there’s the nugget that Thomas hasn’t hauled in an interception in 17 career NFL games (10 starts) and 359 coverage snaps. That’s not surprising, though. Yes, takeaways are an important part of a CB’s job, but Thomas wasn’t a great ball hawk in college. At FSU, he had just two career INTs in three seasons. It’s part of why he dropped to the third round.
During his three seasons with the Jets, Sauce Gardner had just three INTs. A large portion of New York’s fanbase wanted him to generate more takeaways, but he ultimately earned his reputation for elite coverage, running stride for stride with elite WRs to take them out of games. I’m not comparing Thomas to Gardner, but the latter serves as an example to show that cornerbacks can still be very effective without racking up picks.
Thomas has been impressive this season. At just 22 years old, as a third-round pick who started only five games in his rookie year, he has already emerged as an every-down starter for the Jets’ defense.
These findings are critical for the Jets. One of the team’s main goals in 2026 is to field as many long-term building blocks as possible. If the Jets can leave the season with 4-5 legitimate “pieces” on defense, that would be a huge win.
If you are an avid reader here at Jets X-Factor, you know my stance on rebuilds in the NFL. Long ones don’t really exist anymore. However, I’d be lying if I said that there were any bona fide, established long-term building blocks on the Jets’ defense entering this year. Players like Jowon Briggs and Jamien Sherwood flashed that potential, but did not sustain their flashes for long enough to convince folks that they were locked in as core pieces for the future.
Thomas is making a strong case to be one of those players. New York can’t afford to enter every offseason needing to address a multitude of positions. The organization needs to find answers internally.
Even more encouraging is that Thomas isn’t the only young defender making a case to be part of the Jets’ long-term plans defensively. Dane Belton and T’Vondre Sweat have been difference-makers through their first five games in the green and white.
Identifying players like that will be crucial for the Jets. Thomas has looked like he could very well be one of those core pieces for the Jets, at a crucial position, too.
