The New York Jets had a transformative offseason, hiring a new coaching staff, front office, and replacing Aaron Rodgers with Justin Fields before entering the 2025 NFL draft with numerous picks. They made strategic trades and acquired seven new players, aiming to improve their chances of postseason success. Among these selections, Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas was highlighted as an exceptional value pick in the third round by ESPN's Matt Miller, despite his pre-draft athletic testing struggles. Thomas, a versatile player with strong collegiate performance, joins the Jets amid a reshuffle in their cornerback lineup, potentially stepping into a more significant role later in his rookie year. The team's draft class received positive reviews for its strategic approach, highlighting the potential impact of their new additions.

The Jets' offseason was marked by significant changes, including hiring new leadership and trading four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, replacing him with Justin Fields, to set the stage for their draft strategy.

In the 2025 NFL draft, the Jets capitalized on their numerous picks and executed trades, resulting in the acquisition of seven new players aimed at bolstering their roster for future success.

Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas was recognized by ESPN's Matt Miller as the best value pick of the third round, despite his pre-draft athletic testing challenges.

Thomas, known for his competitive edge in press coverage, has a solid collegiate record with 95 tackles, 15 passes defensed, and two interceptions over 37 games.

With departures of cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Brandin Echols, the Jets sought additional depth in their secondary, signing new players and drafting Thomas, who could potentially play a significant role in Steve Wilks' defense.

Initially expected to start as a backup, Thomas's versatility as a boundary and slot cornerback provides him an opportunity to advance in the Jets' defensive lineup during his rookie season.

The Jets' draft approach received praise for its methodical and strategic execution, suggesting a positive outlook for the team's future performance with their new recruits.

After a busy first couple months of the offseason that included hiring a new coaching staff and front office as well replacing four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers with former first-round pick Justin Fields, the New York Jets entered the 2025 NFL draft with a slew of picks to use how they saw fit.

They ended up making a couple of trades throughout the seven rounds and ended up with seven new players that they hope will improve their roster and give them better chances of making the postseason and making a run in the near future.

While each of these draft picks has the potential to turn into an impact player or better in the NFL, one of the mid-round selections is already being viewed as a steal.

In fact, ESPN's Matt Miller chose New York's selection of Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas the best value pick of the third round.

"Thomas was ranked No. 47 on my board but struggled in athletic testing in the predraft process," Miller wrote. "While it's not surprising that his stock dropped, he can win at the line of scrimmage and is an elite competitor in press coverage."

Thomas, 20, was a two-way player and a four-star recruit at Niceville High School in Niceville, Florida, before committing to play for the Seminoles.

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In three collegiate seasons, Thomas appeared in 37 games, recording 95 tackles (nine for a loss), 15 passes defensed, two interceptions, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

With the Jets losing cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Brandin Echols to the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively, they were clearly looking for more help after signing Brandon Stephens and Kris Boyd in free agency.

Thomas will probably start of his rookie campaign as a backup behind Stephens, Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II, but with his versatility to play both boundary cornerback and in the slot, there's a chance that he takes on a more significant role in Steve Wilks' defense later in the year or in his second season.

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