Azareye'h Thomas at Center of Fascinating Big Jets Question That Needs Answering

Is the second-year CB ready to take the next big step in his career development?

Azareye'h Thomas must find a way to separate himself from the pack and prove his worth to the Jets this offseason. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Competition across the Jets' roster will ramp up now that the next stage of the NFL offseason is here. Rookie minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs) will open soon, containing roster battles that will give New York fans a better idea of what the 2026 53-man roster will look like.

One offseason position battle that will be at the forefront of most Jets fans’ minds will be who will be the starting cornerbacks when Week 1 kicks off in September. New York made a couple of changes to their CB room this offseason after finishing the 2025 season with interceptions, which seems unfathomable through the course of a 17-game campaign.

First, the Jets signed Pro Bowl cornerback Nahshon Wright to a one-year deal in free agency in March. Then they turned around and took D’Angelo Ponds in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft last month.

Jets fans are excited to see what rookie CB D'Angelo Ponds will do in Year 1. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

One could argue that Wright and Ponds could be your starting outside cornerbacks next season, based on talent alone. However, it's not that simple.

The Jets have Brandon Stephens, whom they gave a three-year, $36 million contract last offseason. Then there’s Azareye’h Thomas, who was taken in the third round last year and showed some glimpses of promise in what was a down season.

Azareye’h Thomas will be a fixture in the Jets’ starting CB competition this summer

The former Florida State defensive back played in 12 games as a rookie, making five starts. The 21-year-old Thomas played well, compiling 22 combined tackles, seven pass deflections, and two tackles for loss.

Opposing quarterbacks didn’t have much success throwing at Thomas, who is physical at the line of scrimmage and with the confidence that you need on the outside. Thomas had a 48.1 completion percentage when targeted and allowed one touchdown, while possessing an 83.9 passer rating.

Azareye'h Thomas showed a lot of potential as a rookie. Does the Jets CB have another gear? | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now, the young defender’s Pro Football Focus grades left much to be desired (55.5 – coverage, 52.2 – run defense), but the hope is that he can stay healthy in 2026. He was placed on injured reserve during the final month of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Thomas also dealt with a concussion, which forced him to miss a game.

Even though injuries shortened his season, it was good to see Thomas hold his own after becoming the starter in Week 8 following the Sauce Gardner trade.

How will the starting CB job ultimately shake out?

As we look ahead to mandatory minicamp and training camp, the early projection at CB is the Jets starting Wright and Stephens on the boundary, and Ponds at the nickel. But there’s also a chance Ponds could start on the outside, which means Wright or Stephens could be out of a job.

While Wright is coming off a Pro Bowl and had five interceptions, he gave up touchdowns and big passing plays, which won’t cut it on a one-year deal. Meanwhile, Stephens wasn’t great in coverage last season, allowing a 126.4 passer rating and posting a 63.0 grade.

Despite Stephens signing a big contract, he shouldn’t be a shoo-in to start, which should be great news for Thomas, as competition brings out the best in a lot of guys. Jets fans hope that will be the case as some believe he could be the team’s breakout star in 2026.