Armand Membou didn’t begin playing football until he was in the eighth grade.
When Membou reached high school, he was around six feet tall and 185 pounds. However, a growth spurt that increased his height and weight to 6-4, 250 pounds changed his football trajectory forever.
“I was way faster and stronger than I was before,” Membou said during his press conference with the media on Friday. “Working out, I feel like God, He gave me like a new update or something.”
Watching him on film, Membou certainly doesn’t play like a relatively new player to the game of football. But he was one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in this year’s draft class, which is why the Jets drafted him at seventh overall on Thursday night.
“The athletic profile is off the charts,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said about Membou. “He’s mean, he’s nasty, he’s tough.
“What we’re trying to do on offense, he really fits what we’re trying to do, so it was a no-brainer. I mean, once the pick was there for us, man, it was like, this is the guy.”
Membou is the second consecutive offensive lineman the Jets have selected in the first round. A year ago, they drafted left tackle Olu Fashanu 11th overall. Now, Membou will play on the opposite side of Fashanu in what the Jets hope will solidify their tackles for the next decade.
Membou was not highly touted in high school, coming out of Lee’s Summit North in Missouri. He was rated a three-star athlete and the No. 10-ranked player in the state. Membou eventually decided to stay home and attend the University of Missouri.
Membou wasn’t high on NFL scouts’ radar at Missouri until his junior season. During his first two seasons with the Tigers, he allowed three sacks.
But as a junior, Membou was one of the best offensive linemen in the nation. He didn’t allow a sack in 411 pass-blocking snaps. Because of that, he was a second-team All-SEC selection.
Membou knew the NFL was a possibility following his freshman season. But after his performance during his junior season, Membou said the decision to enter the NFL Draft was an easy one.
“My last couple of starts my freshman year, I did really good,” Membou said. “I knew with my last two years, I would turn myself into an NFL player.”
Membou defines himself as “a mauler,” and his play suggests that. He possesses a rare combination of natural power, raw strength, and athleticism typically not found in offensive linemen.
At Missouri, Membou played in a zone-based run scheme, allowing him to use his massive 6-4, 332-pound body to knock pass rushers and defenders down on the second and third levels of blocking.
Usually, left tackles are the more athletic tackles on the offensive line, but Membou is athletically gifted. He ran a 4.91 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He also had a 34-inch vertical jump.
Before playing football, Membou played basketball, tennis, and soccer, and was a wrestler, which he believes helps him as an offensive lineman.
“One thing I took away from wrestling was being able to drop levels and just change your leverage,” Membou said. “I was really good at spearing people, so I kind of took that where I run block and get down and get low.”
The Jets interviewed Membou at the combine and later invited him to visit their facility in Florham Park for a top-30 visit. After getting to know him, the Jets fell in love with Membou’s personality as well as his football skills. The Jets and Membou also had a few FaceTime calls this week, which is when he got the inclination that he would be drafted by the Jets.
During Glenn’s first draft after becoming the Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2021, the Lions also selected an offensive lineman in Penei Sewell, seventh overall. During his four seasons in Detroit, Sewell has been a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and a three-time Pro Bowler.
Glenn says he sees some of the same characteristics in Membou as he does in Sewell.
“The mentality and the demeanor of the player is exactly the same,” Glenn said. “That’s what attracted me to that player first and foremost, and then you start seeing, athletically, how he moves, and then that attracts you.
“And then when you get a chance to talk to the player and get to know exactly who he is as a person, then that attracts you also, so it was like a perfect storm on that guy being a Jet.”
With Membou joining the Jets, their starting offensive line is complete. However, high expectations are being placed on Membou and the Jets’ offensive line to protect quarterback Justin Fields and provide a stable and effective rushing attack.
On paper, the Jets have the best offensive line in recent memory. In addition to Membou, Fashanu, left guard John Simpson, center Joe Tippmann, and Alijah Vera-Tucker are all expected to start upfront. Membou will replace Morgan Moses, who signed with the Patriots in free agency.
“It means a lot that this team has invested this pick in me,” Membou said. “I’m just taking it one step at a time.”
