There is a tight race happening at New York Jets training camp.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini was tasked with picking the top position battle to watch for the Jets, and he chose the cornerback room.
“Brandon Stephens is locked in on one side. On the other side, it’s Nahshon Wright versus Azareye’h Thomas. Rookie D’Angelo Ponds also could make a bid, though some feel he’s better suited to the slot. Thomas, a 2025 third-round pick, has more upside than Wright, but Wright has more of a track record. He made five interceptions last season for the Bears — five more than the entire Jets’ defense last season. Thomas has the early edge, but this race is too close to call,” Cimini wrote.
Two Sides of the Coin
Stephens is locked into a starting gig for at least the beginning of the season. Last offseason he inked a three-year $36 million contract.
Head coach Aaron Glenn preaches competition, but some situations supersede that line of thinking, and money is often one of those unique cases.
Putting him aside, there is one more boundary corner position up for grabs. You have a hired hit man in Wright. He has a very limited sample size that proves he can do it, but the quality was incredible.
Wright finished last season with five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. He just always seemed to be around the football. If last year wasn’t a blip on the radar, the Jets may have found a steal. However, if that was a fluke, then the Jets simply landed fool’s gold.
Thomas was a first-round worthy player who fell to the third round because of a slow 40-yard dash time. The Jets swooped in and secured his services in 2025, but he struggled with a series of injury problems that hindered his development.
At this point in time, he is healthy. When I attended training camp practice on Saturday, August 1, he was running with the starters.
It’ll be a coin flip who wins, but the pressure points will be joint practices and the preseason games to determine who comes out on top.
A Monkey Wrench Thrown Into This Whole Thing
In April’s draft, the Jets invested the No. 50 overall pick into D’Angelo Ponds. He has cross-trained at both slot and boundary corner. In theory, he could get on the field at either spot.
The only problem is injuries. Ponds has been dealing with a calf issue. Jets on SI reporter, Nick Faria, spotted Ponds on the stationary bike during training camp practice on Monday, August 3.
Coach Glenn and media members continue to insist that it isn’t a serious injury that should keep him out for long, but every rep in practice is precious. That is especially true for rookies.
Whenever Ponds returns to the practice field for the Jets, he will have to make up for lost time. As long as he returns in the near future, Ponds can still play a role in who ends up winning these other available starting corner gigs.
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