Things have not gone particularly well for the New York Jets in 2025 after a 0-4 start.
However, it hasn’t been all bad.
First-year offensive tackle Armand Membou was just named to the Athletic’s “All-Rookie Team” after the first month of the season.
“Membou has been the best rookie offensive lineman in the NFL through four weeks. Full stop. He set a high bar in Week 1 with one of the best NFL debuts we have seen, which included several impressive reps versus Steelers star T.J. Watt,” Dane Brugler of The Athletic said.
“Although he hasn’t been perfect since then, there has been very little drop-off in his play, and he has graded very well as both a run blocker and in pass protection. His college tape showed a blocker with tremendous balance and the finishing strength to consistently counter what defenses threw at him, and his NFL tape has been more of the same (with even more pancakes). Still just 21, Membou looks like a cornerstone player for the Jets,” Brugler explained.
The Debate Appears Settled
Membou, 21, entered the league in April as the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
It wasn’t a surprise that Membou ended up in a green and white uniform. He was the most popular mock draft selection for the Jets for the majority of the offseason.
However, amongst fans, there was a debate: playmaker versus pass protection.
Since 2020, the Jets had invested three top-14 picks on the offensive line. If Membou were selected, he would have been the fourth such quality investment in the trenches. The Jets ultimately pulled the trigger, tying for the NFL lead in first-round picks used on offensive linemen since 2020 with the New Orleans Saints.
Some Jets fans craved a top-flight tight end prospect like Tyler Warren, and others were interested in one of the top receivers available to potentially pair with Garrett Wilson.
Membou’s performance through the first month should end any further debate on the topic matter. The Jets clearly made the right decision.
Praise Continues to Pour in for Membou
“There is a lot of positives to take away from Membou’s first four games but his range to get to his spot and then expand to protect the corner REALLY jumps out. This is upper-echelon ‘range’ at OT,” offensive line guru Brandon Thorn said on social media.
“I’m telling you, at this rate he’ll be an All-Pro in the near future,” longtime former NFL offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst Damien Woody reacted on X previously Twitter.
Analyst Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor explained that the analytics confirm what people are saying from film study, “Every stat agrees Armand Membou is a monster.”
Jets Will Continue to Get Rewarded for Their Decision
If Membou achieves the height of All-Pro in the near future, that is a fancy way of saying he is one of the best right tackles in football.
Membou still has three and a half years left on his $31.9 million rookie contract. There is also a future fifth-year team option on that contract.
According to Over The Cap, Membou currently ranks No. 20 in the NFL among the highest-paid right tackles in football on a per-year basis.
That is an insane value for the Jets. They’re getting a top-end option for a bargain bin price for the foreseeable future. That will allow the Jets to spend money at other positions that they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
The Jets may be struggling on the field, but Darren Mougey can rest easy knowing the first pick of his NFL general manager career looks like a home run.
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