Adonai Mitchell’s latest highlight was bad news for this Jets second-year defender

We can now add New York Jets second-year cornerback Azareye’h Thomas to the growing list of players that Adonai Mitchell has tormented this summer.

Mitchell has been among the best players at Jets camp, arguably trailing only rookie edge rusher David Bailey, and nothing has changed ahead of Friday’s preseason clash with the Steelers. 

How badly did Mitchell beat up on Thomas on Tuesday? Sports Illustrated’s Nick Faria went so far as to post on X/Twitter that the Jets receiver was “eating [Thomas] for breakfast” during the morning session. 

Faria added that Thomas’ speed and overly aggressive interactions with opposing receivers remain extremely concerning flaws in his game.

“While his physicality is something the Jets have liked to see, it's clear that the penalties and his excessive hand-grabbing will hurt him throughout the year, especially against faster receivers,” Faria wrote.

The New York Jets might need to have a difficult Azareye’h Thomas conversation

To be clear, there have been no credible reports that Thomas is on the roster bubble. He’s an inexpensive cornerback entering the second season of his standard four-year rookie contract. Every team, especially those in the Jets’ position where the young core is officially taking over, should want those kinds of affordable depth players.

And to Thomas’ credit, he at least tried to make up for his coverage issues by intercepting an errant Cade Klubnik pass later in practice. That’s an encouraging sign in itself, as was his ability to stay focused rather than letting Mitchell derail his mindset. 

We saw flashes of what he could do last year, when he broke up seven passes in 12 games. So by no means is he a bust, nor are we suggesting that the Jets must trade him. Speaking objectively, though, if Thomas is running into the same problems that plagued him as a rookie, then how much wiggle room does he truly have in the long haul? 

The Jets appear to be on pace for the next step of their rebuild: determining which of their non-first-round picks they envision playing major roles going forward. We already saw tight end Jeremy Ruckert earn a new contract last December, and Mitchell has grown into the Jets’ No. 2 receiver. Thomas isn’t up for a new deal until 2028, but the greater question is whether the Jets see him as a long-term starter.

The jury is still out on Thomas, and Friday night will be pivotal. Highly touted rookie D’Angelo Ponds remains sidelined with a calf injury, and that should mean more snaps for Thomas. Veteran linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball dominated against the Buccaneers last Friday, and it’s time for Thomas to do the same. 

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