Story by
New York Jets Azareye'h Thomas Growing as a Key Player
- Story by
- New York Jets Azareye'h Thomas Growing as a Key Player
One of the pleasant surprises on a dominating New York Jets defense this year has been the strong play of cornerback Azareye'h Thomas .
Thomas was a Round 3 (No. 73 overall) selection by the Jets in the 2025 draft. He came out of Florida State and has now played in eight straight games for Gang Green.
Advertisement
The door opened for Thomas as a starter when the Jets traded All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardener to Indianapolis in early November last season. Thomas's strong play up to that point was one of the reasons that Jets general manager Darren Mougey was comfortable in trading one-time Defensive Rookie of the Year Gardner, who was considered one of the building blocks of the Jets team before his surprise trade.
Thomas was injured and finished 2025 with 22 tackles and seven passes defended in 12 games, including five starts, before a shoulder injury ended his season. But when he was playing, Thomas has impressed. He has now logged eight straight games with a pass defensed, the longest active streak in the NFL. He continued that streak against Green Bay , breaking up a Jordan Love toss and forcing the Packers to punt.
Unfortunately, his strong play in the game was marred by a late pass interference penalty against Packers receiver Matthew Golden . It was a 38-yard penalty on first-and-25 in the fourth quarter, giving Green Bay a first down. The Packers went on to score a touchdown on that drive, on their way to a 20-17 win in overtime as the Jets blew a 10-point lead.
Advertisement
Still, Thomas remains confident in his ability and that of his defensive teammates.
"We home in on the details, and we trust AG," Thomas said on Wednesday, referring to head coach Aaron Glenn. "We trust what he's telling us and we trust what we see out there on the field and our preparation. And it's been showing through these two weeks, but it's only two weeks, so we got to be consistent."
The Jets secondary took an early hit in the team's first game when veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick went down with a groin strain after just six plays. He was brought in to steady a Jets secondary that went without an interception in 2025, a string that has continued in the first two games.
Advertisement
Despite the loss of Fitzpatrick, replacements Dane Belton and Andre Cisco have performed well at safety. The Jets have allowed just four completions for 31 yards so far, stifling Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward and then Love into completing just 60% of their throws over the middle, the sixth-lowest in the league, according to TruMedia.
Thomas has been a big part of that. The 22-year-old Jets cornerback played 37 games at Florida State and made 13 starts, finishing with 15 pass breakups and two interceptions. He started every game in 2024, earning honorable mention All-ACC recognition.
The pressure of following Gardner was heavy, but Thomas has now established himself enough that he has switched his jersey to No. 1. He's hoping to live up to that lofty tag when he takes on the dangerous receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the Detroit game.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
