With just around a couple of weeks to go until the 2025 NFL Draft, teams have begun to finalize their team needs. Free agency and trades allowed initial roster holes to be filled.

Now, franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs will attempt to strengthen the roster in April’s draft.

Kansas City has been able to transition through a few select names on the depth chart at defensive back.

The trio of Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams have all made various impacts after coming in together as part of the same draft class.

Kristian Fulton was also added this offseason in free agency. However, future spots are still a question mark to be filled for the Chiefs, making cornerback a spot still worth investing in.

A name that could pique the interest of Kansas City is Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas.

His skill set is something that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would likely gravitate towards. Meanwhile, his size and length thresholds likely fit what K.C. has typically bought into.

What kind of positives stand out from Azareye’h Thomas’ game? Plus, how could he potentially fit within the Chiefs defense?

2025 NFL Draft Profile- Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State

Age: 20 (when drafted)

Height: 6’1 1/2″

Weight: 197 pounds

Azareye’h Thomas’s strengths

Florida State had Azareye’h Thomas play a ton of man coverage reps this past year.

He has some experience in quarters coverage, though Thomas looks comfortable and confident as a man-coverage cornerback. This shows up both in press coverage and when mirroring receivers in his backpedal.

As his last season at Florida State went on, Thomas only appeared to grow more sticky in coverage, remaining tight to the opponent’s hip.

Thomas offers a smooth mix of footwork, balance, agility, and change of direction skills. He rarely seems to get caught or twisted within his lateral mobility.

For instance, he will look to give himself an extra cushion by adjusting his frame and keeping his weight underneath him.

That was impressive as a taller, longer cornerback. And in man coverage, Thomas does not show any stiffness in his hips or lower half.

The size and length show up in press coverage near the line of scrimmage. But also, Thomas showed a knack for being able to run down the field with opposing receivers.

He can recover and utilize long strides to catch pass catchers down the field. With his length, he can undercut routes and break up passes with his reach and vertical long speed.

Thomas’s ball skills are adequate.

He may not have garnered the ball production that others in this draft class have.

However, those results can be hindered by various factors at the college level, including the number of passes thrown his way. When he finds and tracks the football, Thomas really stood out with his timing and natural hands at the catch point.

Azareye’h Thomas’s weaknesses

Azareye’h Thomas is certainly willing to help in run support.

However, the results are a bit clunky in that area for the cornerback. His tackling strike zone can be inconsistent, sometimes coming in on ball carriers too high. Elsewhere, Thomas will have to work to improve his technique in block deconstruction.

He was late to get off of blocks with runners coming his way too many times. His angles to the football could also use some work.

Teams and defensive coaches will likely love the physicality that Thomas portrays. Yet, there are some reps where he becomes grabby on route breaks or on vertical pass attempts.

You would rather have to dial that back, compared to teaching a guy to play more aggressively.

But in today’s NFL, cornerbacks have little breathing room with how defensive penalties are called.

The read and react ability of Thomas can be late. Before the ball reaches his vicinity, getting his head turned around in time can be irregular.

Thomas will also wait to trigger downhill against shorter passes. He can save opponents from gaining more yards if he reads the play earlier.

Anticipation is a work in progress for Thomas.

This is something that materialized in trail coverage. Overall, being able to find the football quicker when working down the field will only make Thomas a more well-rounded defender. Besides trail coverage, anticipation is a weakness when opponents have ran the ball to his side of the field.

How Azareye’h Thomas may fit in Chiefs defense

The aforementioned McDuffie is entering the last year before his fifth-year option season. On the other hand, Watson and Williams are entering the last year of their rookie deals.

Therefore, it would not hurt to add more youth at cornerback for 2025 and beyond. Azareye’h Thomas is one of the youngest prospects in this class, too, making him a piece Kansas City could mold and develop in the next stage of their defensive back room.

It is no secret that the Chiefs like to play a fair amount of man coverage under Spagnuolo. K.C. was in the top 10 for man coverage rate by December of last season, yet again.

With Thomas’s experience in that role, he could make the pro transition than most defensive backs into the Chiefs’ system.

His size and length as a taller cornerback are not that different than what Spagnuolo has utilized over his career, either.

With his smooth movement skills, athleticism, and physicality, Thomas has the traits that Kansas City can lean on in one-on-one situations on the outside.•