Acme Packing Company
Add a new name to the cornerback watch list
After our mock draft round up earlier this week, I was fully expecting to see Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron mocked to the Green Bay Packers when I saw that ESPN’s Mel Kiper dropped a new mock draft. Barron, the top fully healthy cornerback after Colorado’s Travis Hunter in this draft class, has become a popular name linked to Green Bay, a team that will likely be in search of Jaire Alexander’s replacement this offseason.
Instead, Kiper had the Packers passing up Barron, who went 30th to the Buffalo Bills, for a different cornerback: Azareye’h Thomas. Here’s what Kiper had to say about Thomas:
Thomas was getting some notice after the Senior Bowl, and he’s probably going to get some more after the combine. His speed and length are standout traits, and he uses them to make plays on the ball; he broke up 17 passes over the past two seasons. Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley would love Thomas in his zone-heavy coverage schemes where he can break on the ball and halt pass catchers before they tack on yards after the catch. And if Green Bay moves on from the oft-injured Jaire Alexander, there’s going to be a big hole at the position.
I can’t speak too much on Thomas, since I haven’t studied him. I will note, though, that Thomas is currently ranked 43rd on the consensus draft board, behind Barron, ECU’s Shavon Revel Jr. and Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, all players who Kiper projected to be selected behind the Florida State product. This is certainly an out-of-the-box pick, at least at the moment.
