After the Jets selected Azareye'h Thomas in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he appeared in 12 games (5 starts) and took over as a boundary starter following the trade of CB Sauce Gardner to the Colts. Thomas finished the season with 7 PDs, tied for sixth-most among rookie CBs. Over his five starts, Thomas was one of only 16 players with 100+ coverage snaps at outside cornerback to allow a completion percentage under 50.0%, and the only rookie to do so.
It was an impressive start, but with a year under his belt Thomas has taken his game to another level.
"Just the game slowing down way, way, way, way more," Thomas said. "Like my confidence level. Last year I was kind of hesitating. This year I'm seeing things. I'm going. I'm hitting it, and that's one thing I'm proud of. And my coaches have put me in some great positions to go out there and make plays, have put us all in great positions to go out there and make plays, and so that's the biggest jump for sure. Speed of the game."
After 2 pass defenses against the Browns last week, Thomas now has 11 PDs over his last 11 games, spread over his two seasons, 5 alone this season. Overall in five games, Thomas has 20 tackles (14 solo), which is sixth on the team, and 2 TFL. In 28 targets, he has allowed 18 completions (64.3%) for 118 yards (6.6 per) and 2 TDs. Thomas has also been strong against the run and he's taken 335 snaps (100%).
"I think when he first came out and I spoke about AZ, that was one of the things that I talked about, that he's able to go up and play man coverage and play press man coverage," HC Aaron Glenn said. "But also, he has the intelligence to be able to go out there and play zone. He understands what the landmarks are. He understands where his help is. And man, the more reps that he gets, the better and better he's getting. Also, I like exactly where he's at, he's a big man [6-1, 197] that can run, and again, he's intelligent enough to be able to play man and zone."
Thomas agreed with Glenn.
"My coaches put me in great positions, and this has started since OTAs going through installing our playbook, just getting us all comfortable in the scheme and the system," Thomas, 22, said. "You can play fast."
To excel in press man coverage "it's definitely your eyes, eye discipline," he said. To excel in zone coverage, "Zone is see ball, go get ball. It's re-routes. It's getting to your drops. It's depth and all of that."
Playing opposite veteran CB Brandon Stephens, a duo Thomas called "Grimy and Gritty", Thomas this season was joined on the Jets by a teammate at Florida State, DT Darrell Jackson Jr. and another past FSU player, slot corner Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who played a couple of seasons for the Seminoles when Thomas arrived.
"Yeah, man, AZ, he's a vet," Jackson said of Thomas. "He was a [pro in college, just his mentality, his mindset, how he approached everything. He's a great dude, a great guy to be around."
In the Jets win over the Browns, Thoams allowed just one reception for eight yards on 44 coverage snaps in Week Five. Among outside corners with 100 coverage snaps this season, Thomas ranks seventh in yards per snaps (0.5) and sixth in yards per target (4.6).
Brownlee said: "Man, I think he's been good, I think he's been improving. I was with AZ at Florida State, so I kind of know him and the person that he is. And, man, from his first year, from last year to this year you can see the growth in how he's developing. I think he's just getting better each and every week because he's learning the knowledge and he's getting the game."
Take a look back at some of the best photos from the New York Jets vs. New England Patriots games throughout history.
In the Jets' Week 6 game at New England on Sunday, the defense and Thomas will be challenged by an offense that came alive in last week's win over Las Vegas. In that game, the Patriots had 7 plays of 20-plus yards and 5 of 30-plus yards as QB Derek Maye threw for 269 yards.
The Jets have the No. 4 passing defense in the NFL after 5 games. They are allowing 5.47 yards per pass play, which ranks No. 3. Overall, the defense has held opponents to fewer than 200 yards three times this season.
Sunday's game will be the Green & White's first this season against an opponent from the AFC East.
