Jason Burgos
It looks like the New York Jets are taking a hard look at drafting the son of one of the longest tenured players in Gang Green history
With the NFL Draft a little over a month away, teams around the league are deep in their evaluation process on the players they would like to use their picks on during days one, two, and three of next month’s event. The NY Jets are doing their due diligence and were at South Carolina’s pro day to get a closer look at the various NFL prospects the Gamecocks have.
One of those players is defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. The three-year starter had a breakout season in 2025 as he posted seven sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, and 41 tackles. According to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports, the NY Jets are one of multiple teams that had one-on-one meetings with the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder this week.
NY Jets interested in son of Bryan Thomas
For long-time NY Jets fans, the prospect’s name might seem a little familiar. That’s because his father, Bryan Thomas, Sr., was their first-round pick 24 years ago, and played 11 seasons for Gang Green from 2002 to 2012. While he never earned Pro Bowl honors during his career, and peaked with 8.5 sacks and 77 tackles in 2006, he was always a rock-solid player.
The elder Thomas is tied for sixth on the list of longest tenured players in NY Jets history with team legends like Nick Mangold, Wayne Chrebet, and Joe Klecko.
