Physical cornerback has traits Brian Flores would love, but one element could prevent his selection in NFL Draft

Cornerback is one position that the Minnesota Vikings should find a way to improve in the NFL Draft. They have plenty of talent, but Brian Flores' defense lacks upside at the position. There are a lot of intriguing players at the position who could be an option for the Vikings come the NFL Draft. The […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Azareye'h Thomas (8) breaks up a pass intended for Southern Methodist Mustangs wide receiver Moochie Dixon (5) during the first quarter at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Cornerback is one position that the Minnesota Vikings should find a way to improve in the NFL Draft. They have plenty of talent, but Brian Flores' defense lacks upside at the position.

There are a lot of intriguing players at the position who could be an option for the Vikings come the NFL Draft. The wealth of options are such that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can go in multiple different directions.

The latest installment of our SKOL Search series focuses on a very popular name in NFL Mock Drafts for the Vikings in Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas.

Azareye'h Thomas

  • Florida State
  • Height: 6015
  • Weight: 197
  • Class: Third-Year Junior
  • Recruiting info: 4-star recruit in 2022 class per 247 Sports
  • Stats: 95 tackles (64 solo), 9.0 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 15 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
  • Games watched: Georgia Tech 2024, Duke 2024, Miami FL 2024

Strengths

  • Length: First thing that jumps out is his length. Thomas has crazy long arms, allowing him to get his hands in the receiver's chest quickly, forcing him off his spot.
  • Patience: Thomas always plays under control. At the release, Thomas has patient feet and doesn't get off balance. He transitions well to carry upfield in man coverage
  • Mirroring/Ball Skills: Thomas is your ideal press-man corner. He understands the receivers movements and reacts in-sync with them, allowing him to attack the football at its highest point.

Weaknesses

  • Physicality: While press-man is Thomas' game, he gets a little handsy down the field. That could turn into penalties at the next level that weren't in the college game.
  • Taking On Blockers: Thomas is more than willing in the running game, but there isn't a willingness to take on blockers. He tends to back up when being pressed by blockers rather than trying to stand his ground and shed to make a play.
  • Anticipation: Thomas is a pure man-coverage corner who understands how to play off the receivers body language. What he doesn't have is the ability to anticipate routes when playing off coverage. He struggles to identify underneath and attack the football, being late far too often.

Overview

TraitGrade

Man

8.7/10

Zone

7.6/10

Hips/Fluidity

8.2/10

Recognition

11.5/15

Quickness

8.0/10

Run Support

8.2/10

Speed

8.1/10

Recovery

8.1/10

Tackling

3.7/5

Ball Skills

8.4/10

Grade

80.5 Second Round Grade

Thomas is a very intriguing player, especially if you play a press-man system. He has very long arms and great ball skills. You won't find Thomas getting lost in man coverage, as he is under control consistently. He will be a great fit for any team that plays a lot of press-man coverage.

The problem for Vikings is they don't. He struggles triggering downhill in zone coverage with recognizing route combinations playing off coverage. That fact could end up taking him off the Vikings board. It's not a certainty, however, as the length and ball skills Thomas possesses could be intriguing enough to take at the back end of round one.

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