Commanders land new starting CB in former player's first mock NFL Draft

A former player took his first crack at mock drafting, and sent a cornerback to the Washington Commanders.

Florida State defensive back Azareye'h Thomas. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It is mock draft season in the NFL, and the Washington Commanders are one of 32 teams in the league looking to find the right player to add to their roster in the first round and beyond.

While the Commanders are hard at work behind the scenes, we're all out here in front of the public eye trying to put our best brains together to figure out what might happen in a few weeks' time.

Former NFL player, running back Maurice Jones-Drew, took his first stab at trying to project the first round of the draft, and sent a new starting cornerback to Washington, Florida State's Azareye'h Thomas.

Florida State Seminoles defensive back Azareye'h Thomas. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

"The Commanders select a long, rangy cornerback who can disrupt the passing game. Thomas has plenty of room to grow, but he possesses the tools and physicality to thrive under Dan Quinn," says Jones-Drew.

Thomas is one of a few names that have been popular in Commanders mock drafts this offseason for his length and press-man potential in the NFL.

While the Washington defense was one of the best in preventing big plays there was still plenty left to be desired in the area of takeaways and perimeter run defense. While a cornerback's main job will never be run-stopping, Thomas' projection as a solid member of that area of the game is a plus as well.

Drafting a corner like Thomas would almost assuredly lead to second-year cornerback Mike Sainristil moving back inside to the slot where he starred for the Michigan Wolverines and started his rookie season before moving outside due to need.

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