Wyatt Miller

If the Rams select Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it would be their second-straight first round pick out of FSU. The aggressive cornerback has the hands, instincts and size to be a successful corner in the NFL.

NFL.comandESPNboth have the Rams selecting Thomas with the No. 26 pick in recent mock drafts. After bringing back Ahkello Witherspoon this offseason, the Rams currently have 10 cornerbacks listed on the roster, but they didn't add to that group in free agency.

This is not an endorsement of Thomas by the Rams, nor is it an indication that they are targeting him. This is simply a reflection of external media linking Thomas to Los Angeles in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Here's a breakdown of Thomas' game and the value he could bring to the Rams' defense:

Scouting Report

Last season, Thomas allowed a 50.2 passer rating when targeted, ranking third in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 27th in the FBS among qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. His 141 yards allowed was the fewest in the entire country among corners with at least 300 coverage snaps (he had 357). Analysts have Thomas going between the first and third round, so the Rams could potentially have more than one chance to draft him.

At 6-foot-1 , 197 pounds, Thomas has the physical tools to thrive in press man or zone coverage. His 32 -inch arms were the fifth-longest measured for a cornerback at the NFL Combine, and his 10-inch hands were the biggest he knows how to use both.

"Thomas has all the needle-moving traits for a perimeter corner in today's NFL,"wrote Kyle Crabbs of the 33rd Team. "His length is immediately evident in a number of ways be it how he crowds the catch point, disrupts releases at the line of scrimmage, or the tackle radius that it affords him as a rally and run support defender."

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com highlightedThomas' strength at the line of scrimmage and catch point, ability to use his length to disrupt receivers throughout their routes and instincts to close space in coverage.

Despite catching just two interceptions in his three seasons at Florida State, he displayed solid ball skills that suggest upside as a turnover creator and disruptor. At just 20 years old, Thomas enters the league with plenty of time to improve, and a skill set that indicates he will.

"Thomas deters early looks his way from quarterbacks by jabbing, crowding and smothering the release from press," Zierlein wrote. "... 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."

His speed isn't at the top of the charts, but Thomas' proclivity for using his ideal size advantageously makes up for some of those shortcomings. He's far from a finished product, but Thomas makes for an intriguing prospect, one that the Rams could develop into a future star.

"While his technique and consistency in both the run and pass games need improvement, Thomas' athletic traits and competitive mentality provide a solid foundation for growth,"wrote the Bleacher Report Scouting Department. "With refinement, he has the potential to become a valuable contributor in an NFL secondary."

Fit

The youngest cornerback to start a game for the Rams last season (prior to Week 18) was Cobie Durant, who's 27 years old. Thomas could be the future of the position, for which the Rams have long used veterans as a stopgap.

In fact, Los Angeles has never taken a corner, or even a defensive back, with the first selection in any NFL Draft since Les Snead became general manager in 2012. It has only taken three cornerbacks inside the first three rounds in that time. But, considering the Rams' current championship window, positional need could take precedent over historical preference.

"Les Snead's draft-day approach has evolved he used to aggressively trade up for marquee players, but lately, he's accumulated mid-round capital,"wrote Mike Band of Next Gen Stats. "Standing pat at No. 26, he returns to the Florida State pipeline for Thomas, a fluid corner with size, ball skills and scheme versatility. The Rams' secondary could use an influx of youth, and Thomas represents a potential long-term solution on the boundary. Even if Snead entertains offers to move down again, landing a dynamic corner like Thomas is on the table."

In Mel Kipers most recent mock draft for ESPN, he pointed out that the Rams' defense allowed 29 passing TDs and 7.6 yards per attempt last season (both tied for fifth-worst in the NFL). Thomas could learn from Witherspoon, who possesses similar length and ball skills, while giving the Rams a young, malleable playmaker on the outside who can excel in both man and zone coverage.

"Thomas is big, quick and long," Kiper wrote. "And while he doesn't have eye-popping INT numbers (two over three seasons), he makes plays on the ball. He broke up 19 passes at FSU. Thomas would boost the Rams' pass defense."