The New York Giants selecting an offensive tackle during the 2025 NFL draft would hardly rate as a surprise, unless Big Blue drafted the lineman with the third-overall pick.
That would be a tough sell when owning the No. 3 choice puts the Giants within rage of Colorado cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter and Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter. They are widely considered the most-gifted athletes in this class, so passing on either would leave the Giants open to intense criticism.
The only way to answer the critics and justify this swerve would be to draft a tackle who compares favorably to Super Bowl winner and four-time Pro Bowler Tristan Wirfs. Fortunately, one prospect fits the bill, according to The 33rd Team’s Ian Valentino.
He has the Giants taking Missouri’s right tackle Armand Membou in his latest mock draft. Valentino believes “Membou has the traits and play style to be their version of Tristan Wirfs, even if he’s a raw prospect.”
Getting a rookie tackle who could instantly join the ranks of the elite, the way Wirfs did with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2020, would solve a longstanding problem for the Giants.
Yet, the franchise’s dismal recent track record of drafting offensive linemen, combined with foregoing more dynamic playmakers, makes this a highly questionable strategy.
Giants Would Risk Too Much With RT Pick
On the surface, the Giants would be playing it smart and safe by taking a versatile tackle off the board early. All-Pro Andrew Thomas is a linchpin on the left side, but he’s also somebody who’s had a hard time staying healthy, never having completed a full season since entering the pros in 2020, nine picks ahead of Wirfs.
Thomas is still the best lineman on the roster when he’s 100 percent. Partly because 2022 seventh pick Evan Neal has failed to make the grade and now appears primed to switch positions.
Enter Membou, a dominant force during his time with the Tigers. He locked down the right side with reps like this “patient” exchange highlighted by Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports.
Putting Membou on the right side would finally fix that spot and give the Giants bookend tackles to protect veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. It’s the same role Wirfs took as a rookie for the Bucs when he earned All-Pro honors keeping Tom Brady clean.
Like Wirfs, who eventually returned to his natural left tackle spot, Membou can also play both sides. So he’d be a natural successor to Thomas, who has an out in his contract for 2027, per Spotrac.com.
Wherever he plays, Membou would add top-notch pass-blocking skills, tallied by PFF, to a suspect Giants O-line.
There’s a lot to like about Membou, but the Giants would have put up quite a smokescreen to hide their interest in him, based on the bigger names they’ve courted.
Giants Have Bigger Names in Their Sights
There are more exciting prospects seemingly in the Giants sights. Starting with quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The arrivals of Winston and Wilson mean taking a passer in the opening round is no longer a necessity. Yet, Valentino still thinks “It seems unfathomable New York would pass on Shedeur Sanders because of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, but it’s something ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes happens.”
What would arguably be more difficult to comprehend is the Giants passing on Hunter or Carter. Particularly when the Giants have met with Carter more than once as the draft draws closer.
Hunter is also still in play thanks to his big-play flair in both phases, something the Giants may even trade up to acquire. That would be a bold move, but one easier for fans to accept than a rebuilding team lacking star power taking a right tackle in the top three.
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