Jets Rookie ‘Popped’ at Minicamp, Breathing Down Starter’s Neck

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.

A #Jets rookie has made some noise this offseason: Azareye’h Thomas. 👀@eallenjets said he ‘looks the part’; listed at 6-foot-1 & weighing 197 pounds on the official roster sheet, ‘now you’re starting to see him flash, making plays on the ball.’

🎥 @nyjets #JetUp… pic.twitter.com/W4tNg6Xmz3

 

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) June 17, 2025

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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.

In other words, Thomas doesn’t have a clear path to playing time based on the players in front of him on the depth chart.

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.

“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?

Thomas has been breathing down Stephens’ neck throughout the voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp. However, the veteran is expected to get the starting nod, and he will get a chance to reward the faith of the Jets coaching staff and to live up to his sizable contract.

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 impacted 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 tomorrow’s necessity.

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 viable option.