In his latest mock draft for ESPN, Mel Kiper has the Los Angeles Rams picking cornerback Azareye’h Thomas at 26th overall. Cornerback is often cited as the Rams biggest need, but Les Snead hasn’t gone in that direction early in the draft in a long time.
Will that change in 2025 and would it be Thomas?
The 6’1, 197 lbs corner out of Florida State measured 32.5” arms at the combine with 10” hands, but he didn’t run the 40-yard dash or most drills. He did post a 10’2 broad jump, which is good.
Here is Lance Zierlein’s description:
Press-man cornerback with average speed but excellent length to disrupt game flow for opponents. Thomas deters early looks his way from quarterbacks by jabbing, crowding and smothering the release from press. He lacks route recognition and lateral twitch to stay tight to breaks from off-man. He also needs to develop his instincts and trust his eyes from zone coverage. He has average top-end speed but competes to shrink the receiver’s downfield catch odds using his length and ball skills. He’s more likely to spoil a catch than make a play on the football that results in a turnover, but that could change with more experience. He’s below average in run support, although he improved in that area in 2024. Thomas needs more seasoning, but he could become a good starter within two or three years.
Zierlein notes “imposing size and length” and ability to track a receiver’s movements as strengths, while “average body control to mirror wrinkles in the route” and arm tackling as negatives.
It is expected that Thomas could run the 40 at the Florida State pro day on March 21st.