Position at a Glance in '26
The Green & White cornerback room gained some new playmaking additions in the offseason by selecting D'Angelo Ponds in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft and signing Nahshon Wright to a 1-year deal in free agency.
During minicamp, Wright was asked about the room.
"I mean you got Stiggs [Qwan'tez Stiggers] who's a tremendous player, you got B [Brandon] Stephens who's been around the league just as long as me and been a starter since he's been in the league and then you got AZ [Azareye'h Thomas] who's young and can play ball," Wright said. "He's long, lengthy and I think he's going to be great for us."
Thomas is bringing new confidence into his second NFL season after getting an increased workload midway through 2025 after Sauce Gardner was traded to the Colts.
"Last year I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself, worrying about what the outside world was saying about me and so this year my biggest motto was audience of one," said Thomas, who switched from No. 23 to No.1 this season. "The number doesn't make me, I'm going to make the number."
But No. 23 will still be worn this season — this time by D'Angelo Ponds, the rookie out of Indiana. Ponds has drawn comparisons to head coach Aaron Glenn because of their competitive playstyles and similar height. At 5-8, Ponds is listed as the shortest cornerback in the room but don't let his size fool you.
"When I [first met Ponds] I thought 'oh, he's really short,'" said WR Omar Cooper Jr. who competed with him at Indiana. "But once you play against him, he's all of the above: He's smart, he's fast, he's aggressive, he's not just going to let you push you around."
Storyline to Watch
Aaron Glenn will be calling the plays for the entire defense much to the excitement of the cornerback group.
"The intensity is already up high, but when your head coach is the play caller — I love it," Azareye'h Thomas said. "We walk into meetings and he's trying to throw everyone off and just asking random questions."
Brandon Stephens, who joined the Jets in 2025 after four seasons with the Ravens, shared that same sentiment about Glenn: "To be coached by him daily, be critiqued by him as well, I think everyone is just eager to learn from him, you know what I mean, but yeah we're loving it."
While Glenn calling plays is a change, Stephens said the scheme is "somewhat similar."
"There's only so many coverages you can run in the NFL, so they pay the corners outside to guard No. 1 receivers and whatnot and that's what the coaches expect us to do," he said.
What They're Saying
Nahshon Wright explained what went into his impressive 2025 season where he had 5 INTs: "I think it was a little bit of everything. Obviously having a knack for the ball, being confident enough to get my eyes back to the ball and then … preparation, being able to go into a week and see what teams like to do and type of route concepts they run and be able to anticipate certain things."
| Jets Player | Exper in '26 | '25 GP-GS-DNP-IA | '25 D-ST-Total Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nahshon Wright | 5th | 17 - 16 - 0 - 0 (CHI) | 1041 - 18 - 1059 (CHI) |
| Brandon Stephens | 6th | 16 - 16 - 0 - 1 | 1048 - 4 - 1052 |
| Qwan'tez Stiggers | 3rd | 15 - 4 - 0 - 2 | 247 - 286 - 535 |
| Azareye'h Thomas | 2nd | 12 - 5 - 0 - 1 | 311 - 98 - 400 |
| Jarvis Brownlee Jr. | 3rd | 7 - 2 - 0 - 2 | 280 - 17 - 297 |
| Jordan Clark | 2nd | 6 - 0 - 0 - 0 | 139 - 31 - 170 |
| Tre Brown (DB) | 6th | 5 - 1 - 0 - 0 | 54 - 23 - 77 |
| Samuel Womack III | 5th | 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 (NYJ) | 73 - 0 - 73 (NYJ) |
| D'Angelo Ponds | R | .................... | .................... |
| Mory Bamba | R | .................... | .................... |
Finished '25 Season on IR: Thomas, Brownlee
Finished '25 Season on Practice Squad: Womack
Signed Reserve/Future Contract: Womack
Draft Choice in '26: Ponds (Rd. 2, 50th overall)
Undrafted Rookie Free Agent in '26: Bamba
CB Trivia
HC Aaron Glenn and his staff and players would love to attack last season's interception drought quickly, and Nahshon Wright, signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Bears, is one can help get that done. Wright's 5th season in the NFL was a career year as he turned in 5 INTs, tied for 2nd-most among all NFL defenders and tied for 1st among all corners last season. His 8 total takeaways also led the league.
